Ghost Girl
by RebelGirl13
Summary: There's always been rumors about that old abandoned mansion up on Violet Hill. They say the ghost of a girl haunts the place, terrorizing anyone who comes near. Sometimes she even haunts those in the village. When Percy Jackson moves in next door, he's determined to prove that there's nothing living in the mansion. But who will he prove wrong? The village people? Or himself? AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

_Find it! Find it now! _A voice chanted through Annabeth's mind. She didn't know exactly when the new homeowners would be arriving, but she knew it would be soon. She had to find her red food coloring before they got here, so she could make the paste. She found it strange how no one had bothered to investigate the sticky red goo further, but didn't question it. She knew that their fear was pretty much all she had left to live by.

She prayed fervently to whoever would listen that the people moving in next door would be exactly the same as all the others. That they would come, see her display, be terrified, and leave. Or, even better, not come at all. That's what she hoped. A small feeling down in the pit of her gut told her it was not to be.

Annabeth growled in frustration as the small bottle of red dye continued to evade her. "Where is it?" she shouted, kicking her way through the old furniture and shuffling through debris. She often talked to herself. It wasn't that she was crazy; she was just very, very lonely. She had gotten used to it, of course, but she was only fifteen. There were somedays when she craved the comfort of other life forms.

She looked out the window of the east side of her room, the side that was facing the new house. Its plastic real estate sign moved slightly in the wind, causing the **SOLD** sign to rattle. Annabeth took a deep breath. She didn't want them to come. They might be someone she knew, or worse; someone who knew _her_. She couldn't afford people recognizing her. Not now, after all these years.

Annabeth had lived alone in the big abandoned mansion all alone since age eleven, when she had escaped from the foster system. She doubted that her foster family had even reported her missing, which was the one thing she was truly grateful towards them for. If they had, there's no way she would have been out here on her own.

She stiffened as she heard the sound of a vehicle rolling down the road.

She leaned closer to the dusty glass, pushing back the tattered curtains to clear her vision. A U-Haul truck pulled into the driveway of the new house, and behind it a navy blue Chevy pickup truck. When Annabeth saw that truck, she felt as though she couldn't breathe. She had never seen one like it, though she had imagined one just the same a million times.

A man stepped out of the U-Haul truck with a grin on his face that looked almost too happy. A woman got out of the Chevy and stepped beside him, also looking wildly joyful at the prospect of their new house. The man put his arm around the woman as a little boy got out of the back and sprinted over to them, a little LEGO trinket in his hand.

Annabeth almost laughed out loud at the scene. They seemed like a picture perfect family. _Wonder how long they'll last, _she thought.

Then, someone she wasn't expecting joined the picture. A tall boy, maybe about fifteen or sixteen years old, got out of the car, headphones in his ears, starring down a his phone. His dark hair fell in his eyes in an _I'm-Too-Cool-To-Care_ sort of way that made Annabeth instantly despise him. His parents tried to get his attention, but he was obviously too attached to his phone screen to care about his surroundings.

The little boy walked towards the house, somehow managing to look excited while fiddling with his toy at the same time. The man and woman followed, appearing to be almost as eager to see the interior. Only the boy stayed behind, leaning up against the truck and finally putting his phone down to observe the scene around him. He looked around a bit before his green eyes rested on the mansion. He didn't seem frightened. He didn't seem intrigued. He just seemed to see right through it, like he couldn't care less whether or not it was there. That was, until he saw the East Window.

Annabeth was never sure if he saw her or not, but she moved away too quickly to find out. As she did, she stepped on something small and plastic. She picked it up and grinned. Throwing the red dye into the air and catching it, she began to walk down the hall. "I'm going to have some fun with this," she said aloud, although she knew as well as anyone that the walls would not reply.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the first installment of Ghost Girl!**

**Let me ****_know_**** if you enjoyed it by leaving a review!**

**(This is my first PJO multi-chap, so nothing too harsh, please)**

**-Rebel**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

Percy leaned up against the truck. He did not want to be here. His parents had forced him to leave his school (not his _biggest_ complaint), his friends, his girlfriend, and the swim team, all to come to this little dump of a village. And, what's more, they weren't even in the village. They were on a hill that looked out over the valley, which the village was so coyly hidden in.

Percy looked around. His eyes rested on the old mansion next to him. A small shiver was sent down his spine. A sensation of someone watching him slowly crept across his mind.

He tried not to think about it and looked down at his phone. _Incoming Call: Rachael Dare._ He sighed. It was his girlfriend. He put the phone to his ear.

"Hey, Rachael," he said, obviously not really wanting to talk. Rachael didn't seem to catch that.

"Hey, babe," she said, her sickly sweet voice echoing through the speaker. "I called to see how you were doing and... If you've got Phase One of the plan done."

Percy shook his head, even though he knew Rachael couldn't see it. "Look, Rachael. When we formed the plan, we didn't know that the nearest airport would be sixty miles away. There's barely any place that I could get a job here, let alone make enough money for a plane ticket. I know you wanted me to come back, but it looks like I'm stuck here."

"But Percy!" whined Rachael. "I'll have no one to go to the End-of-the-Year School Dance with!"

"I'm sure you'll find someone," Percy said shortly, hanging up.

He was tired of Rachael always getting her way. Yeah, she was super nice, and really cute, too, but she was spoiled. She took everything for granted, including Percy.

His phone buzzed. _New text: Grover Underwood._

_Hey, man. I got some bad news, _it read.

Percy texted back.

_What, did Rachael find a date to the dance already?_

Grover's reply was immediate.

_Whoa! I thought you were coming back! Remember the plan?_

Percy sighed.

_There's no way, Grover. Not now. So, this bad news...?_

Grover's text seemed to take longer than normal.

_Uh, well... I'm sorry, Perce, but Coach Duncan... Well, he sort of found... A new person for the team._

Percy caught his breath. It had been three days. Three days. Was one weekend all that his swim team needed to find somebody else?

_You mean I've been replaced? Already?_

He knew what the answer would be before it came.

_Yeah, man. Look, I'm really sorry. I tried to convince him to wait, but he wouldn't listen. But don't worry, nobody's ever gonna live up to your standards. It's impossible._

Percy blinked a few times. He didn't get upset about many things, but this? This was just too much. Of course, he couldn't let Grover know that.

_It's okay, G-Man. I'll talk with you later, okay?_

Percy put his phone down and looked up at the sky. Grover had been his best friend since they were eleven. Grover was socially awkward when they met, but Percy had coaxed him out of his shell.

It wasn't that Grover wasn't popular, though. Their school didn't do the whole popularity levels thing. Everyone was accepted, though some people had more friends than others.

That's one of the reasons Percy missed his school so much. He didn't see why his parents had to move in May. There was one freakin' month until the school year was over. But they couldn't wait to move out here to Summerville, New Hampshire, where there were only forty kids (or less) in each grade, because it was the only school around and kids came from towns up to thirty miles away. Where the school was grades K-12, because the town couldn't afford more than one educational program. Where they didn't even have a public pool.

He looked at the mansion again, and something caught his eye. He held his breath. In one of the windows was a face. It's features were blurry, because in between the mansion and his house there was a field, but he was certain of some things. It was a girl. She had blonde hair, that was curled in waves and was somewhat tangly. Her blue eyes were sharp and clear, and she was looking straight at him.

Percy blinked, and the face was gone. He shook his head. "I... I just imagined it," he whispered to himself. "I'm hallucinating."

As the day progressed, though, all Percy could think about were those intense blue eyes that seemed to see straight into his soul. And that told him more than anything that it was _not_ a hallucination.

* * *

**And so, this is the first chapter!**

**Did you like it? Hate it? Want to throw a pie at it? Let me know by reviewing!**

**Okay, so, maybe I should have explained this better: I did not make a mistake about Annabeth having blue eyes instead of gray, it's a huge part of the story.**

**Sorry about not being clear:)**

**-Rebel**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

Percy clenched his teeth.

"So technically, I have a bigger Beanie Baby collection than Archie does!" exclaimed the chattering kid behind him. This 10-year-old, Octavian, had been following him around since he stepped foot in the village.

His mother, Sally Jackson, had asked Percy to run to the convenience store to get a gallon of milk. It was about a mile walk from his house, but Percy didn't mind. It was more time to mope. That was, if Octavian wasn't following him.

"Um, hey... Percy, was it?" Said the girl at the cash register.

"Yeah," said Percy, fishing out his wallet. "And you are?"

"My name's Hazel," she said, pointing to her name tag. Percy blushed a little. He would have read the name tag, except for the fact that he was dyslexic. Reading wasn't exactly his forte in life.

"Um, Percy? Is it... Is it true that you live in the house next to the old mansion?" said Hazel, seeming kind of nervous.

"Yeah, why?" he said.

Hazel didn't reply.

As Percy was walking out of the store, Octavian plagued him once again. "You wanna know why she asked about your house?" he said.

Percy tried not to look too irritated. "Why?" he muttered.

"Because people say it's haunted!" exclaimed Octavian.

Percy froze in his tracks. He didn't believe in ghosts, but the image of those blue eyes were burned into the back of his mind. "How?" he asked.

"Well, they say there's this girl who was murdered by her own brother there, and the ghost is waiting for her brother to come back so she can take her revenge! Any guy who goes up there comes back terrorized. They say she makes the blood of her victims run down the walls and screams so loudly your eardrums pop," Octavian explained.

"That's so lame!" said Percy, though he began to walk a little faster.

"It's not!" insisted Octavian. "I believe in it, anyways."

_Gods know that's proof_, thought Percy, though he didn't have the heart to say it.

"Legend had it that around twenty years ago, she stopped killing the boys. Now she just drives them insane. We even had to send one kid to a mental institution!" exclaimed Octavian.

"Wait," said Percy. "In this legend of yours, what happened to any girls who went up there?"

Octavian shrugged. "The same thing, although their hysteria is usually slightly worse. The legend says that her brother killed her because his girlfriend had bribed him. The girlfriend thought the Ghost Girl was prettier than her, so she told her boyfriend that if he killed his sister, she would... Um, well..." Octavian turned a bright shade of red.

"She would what?" prompted Percy.

Octavian looked at his feet. "Well, the grownups usually leave this part out of the story, but... Archie told me that what really happened was that she... Well, uh, she said she would... You know!" Octavian gestured with his head and gave Percy a hopeless look.

Percy was confused for a moment. Then it dawned on him what Octavian was talking about. _Explicit information_. He coughed a little bit. "Oh. Okay, then." An awkward silence hung in the air. He did his best to change the subject. "I still don't believe the story. Sorry."

Octavian looked a little angry. "Well, you try spending the night in that house! You'll never come out the same!"

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Was that a challenge?" he said.

Octavian nodded fiercely. "I doubt you'll accept."

Percy did his best to look nonchalant. "Well, you're wrong about that. But, seriously, I can't do it tonight because we have school tomorrow, right?"

Octavian looked disappointed. "Yeah, I guess so."

"I'll do it on Saturday, then," declared Percy. He stopped as they got to the top of the hill, in front of his little red house.

"I'll see you later, then," said Percy, hoping it wasn't true. He walked through the door. The first room he saw when he entered the house was the kitchen. He took off his shoes and set down the milk on the counter. He could hear his family laughing and unpacking in the living room, but he didn't feel like joining them.

He climbed the stairs two at a time and laid down on the mattress that was on the floor in his future room. There were boxes all around, but he didn't have the motivation to open them. He looked to the left and saw a small package that was marked **FRAGILE**. He reached over and opened it.

Inside was a single object: a framed photo of Percy and his dad. His dad had been a Navy captain, one of the best America had to offer. Everyone always said that he had a way with the water. He could tell where the tides were, and even navigate without a compass even when it was cloudy. He had taken Percy sailing lots of times. Percy had loved the water, and wanted to be just like his dad when he grew up.

That was, of course, until the sea swallowed his father whole. He had drowned along with his crew, and even the ship. No remains were ever found. That was when Percy was eleven. He was sixteen now, and ache hadn't dulled a bit.

Just before his father had disappeared, Percy's mother, Sally, had another little boy. His name was Tyson. He was six now, and the most annoying, endearing little trickster Percy had ever laid eyes on. When Percy turned thirteen, Sally accepted the fact that her husband was dead. She cried for a while, and then got on with her life. She remarried a guy named Paul Blofis, although all three of the Jackson's kept their last names. Paul didn't seem to mind.

Though he hated to admit it, Percy slightly resented Paul. It wasn't that he was a jerk or anything; in fact, Paul was a pretty cool guy. But Percy, unlike his mother, never gave up hope that his father was still alive somewhere. His heart had pushed all logic out of his head, and he was determined to find his father again someday.

Percy stiffened as a cold wind seemed to sweep down his back. He stood up and looked out the window at the mansion. There was no face in the window this time, but he could almost imagine those blue eyes watching him judgmentally, deciding whether or not his blood would be running down the walls soon, too.

* * *

**Thanks for all the positive reviews, even you people who saying "Annabeth's eyes are gray, not blue!" I know that. Just bare with me and may ever-unfolding plot a little while longer. :D**

**Anyways, thanks so much! And review!**

**-Rebel**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

Percy slung his backpack over his shoulder and took a deep breath. It was 10:00 on Saturday night, the time he'd agreed that he would meet Octavian next to the field. He wasn't scared, but he was annoyed. He shouldn't have to prove to this little kid that there was nothing in this house, but he felt as if he needed to show the townspeople that nothing was going to hurt them.

He climbed out of his window and grabbed onto the pine tree just outside. The top of it bent down with his weight so that he was only about four feet from the ground. He jumped and rolled into a somersault. The tree sprang back up and whacked the side of the house in a loud, resounding **_THUMP!_**

Percy winced, and stayed frozen for a second. His parents were on the first floor, of course, and they always went to bed early, but that noise might have woken them up. He didn't stay long enough to find out.

He was about half way to their meeting point when he was aware of someone following him. He spun around. He couldn't see anyone, but he heard a little giggle. "Tyson," he sighed. "Come out."

His little brother stepped out of the shadows and ran towards him, his yellow flannel pajamas making him stand out in the darkness like a cellist at a heavy metal concert. "Big bang woke me up!" declared Tyson. "I follow you now."

"Listen, buddy. You've got to get to bed. I'm gonna be coming right back, I promise," said Percy.

"But... I go with you." Tyson's lower lip started to tremble and his eyes filled with tears.

_Don't look, don't look!_ thought Percy. He turned his head away. "Not this time, Tyson. I have to..." Percy blamed his ADHD. He couldn't help it. He had to look back at Tyson, which was his mistake. After looking at the big puppy dog eyes, he had no choice. He sighed. "Fine, you can come with me."

Tyson cheered, all traces of crying disappeared.

They walked together to where Octavian was waiting. With him were two other boys and a girl, all three of whom looked to be about Percy's age. Percy had seen them in school, but never bothered to learn their names.

"Hey, man!" said one of the older boys, offering his hand. "Leo Valdez." Percy shook the kids hand and was introduced to the other two kids, Piper and Jason.

"So, you're really going in there?" said Piper.

"Nice knowing ya," said Leo. Jason elbowed him in the side.

"Ignore him. Good luck," said Jason, patting Percy on the back. Then they all seemed to spot Tyson.

"Who's this?" said Octavian, doing his best to size up Tyson. In reality, Tyson was a little bit bigger that Octavian, despite being four years younger.

"My brother, Tyson," said Percy.

"He's going with you?" said Leo uneasily.

Percy nodded. "Yeah."

"You're taking a little kid in there?" said Piper, obviously disapproving. "Some big brother you are!"

Percy shrugged. "He wanted to come. Don't tell me you guys actually believe this whole 'Ghost Girl' thing!" said Percy. No one replied.

"Everyone in Summerville believes it, Percy," explained Jason. "It's the only source of excitement. 'The Ghost of Violet Hill Manor'- that's not just a bedtime story to us."

Percy sighed. "I'm going in now," he said. _Yup, they're insane,_ he thought to himself.

He and Tyson trudged up the hill. When they arrived at the house, Percy had to lift Tyson into the window because he was too short. Percy climbed in himself. When he got inside, he held his breath.

He had expected the interior to be heinous, yes, but not this bad. There were stacks of old faded books with broken spines, ripped furniture, and your classic door hanging half-off of the doorframe. There was wood rotting everywhere, and even a rats nest in the corner.

Tyson stepped closer to Percy. "I changed mind," he said, shaking his head. "Brother should take Tyson back."

Percy swallowed the lump in his throat. "Na, it's fine, Tyson. There's nothing to be scared of. It's just an old house. Now, let's go see if we can find somewhere to set up camp that isn't infested," he said, taking Tyson by the hand and pulling him along.

* * *

**EVERYBODY READ THIS!**

**Okay, maybe all caps was unnecessary, but...**

**I have decided to start doing something! Every time I write an Author's Note, I'll give you a Theme song for a person or a pair from Percy Jackson!**

**We'll start off with Percy and Annabeth! And their theme song is: *drumroll please***

**I'll Follow You by Shinedown!**

**Seriously, though. Listen to it, and read the lyrics. It's like it was written about the Mark of Athena.**

**If you have any suggestions for theme songs, let me know by reviewing!**

**I have decided: I will be updating on Saturdays and Wednesdays, so keep your eyes open!**

**And just so you know, your reviews make me happy:)**

**-Rebel**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

Percy watched as Tyson's eyes began to droop. "Not so bad here," murmured Tyson drowsily.

Percy checked his watch. It was 11:45. Almost two hours had passed, and nothing had happened. Well, unless you wanted to count the bat that flew out of their room. That had freaked Tyson out a little, but still. There was no sign of a ghost.

Tyson leaned up against Percy and closed his eyes, relaxing. That was, until they heard the thumping noise. It was faint at first, and Percy was almost sure it was his imagination. Then it got louder, and louder, until it sounded like someone was jumping rhythmically on the ceiling above them.

He grabbed his flashlight and pushed Tyson, edging slowly towards the stairs. Tyson whimpered, now wide awake. "Stay here," commanded Percy.

Of course, Tyson didn't listen. He just crept behind Percy innocently, like Percy had never said anything. The thumping stopped, but the brothers continued to climb up the groaning stairs. Once they reached the top, the discovered the room that appeared to be directly above the one they had been lounging in. They entered the room.

Percy stepped in front of Tyson protectively, and let his flashlight illuminate the room. There was nothing in it at all. It was completely empty, except for a few hundred years worth of dust coating the floor.

"It was nothing," decided Percy. He turned around to walk out the door, but all of a sudden it slammed shut. Percy tensed, and Tyson huddled closer.

"What was that?" Tyson said.

"The... The wind," suggested Percy, feeling a bit uneasy himself.

"No wind in here," said Tyson, and he began to cry. Before Percy could comfort him, he heard a sound like a _plop_! He shined his flashlight on the wall and stared in horror. A sticky, red substance was running down all four walls._ The blood of her victims runs down the walls,_ he heard Octavian's voice echoing through his mind.

All of a sudden, he heard a loud scream. It was an ear-splitting, terrified scream, but it also sounded a little bit mad, too. Tyson began to scream as well, and his tears slipped into his open mouth.

"Come on!" said Percy, grabbing Tyson by the hand and yanking him towards the door. The screaming continued as he threw the door open. He ran into the hall. He didn't shine his flashlight towards the stairs that led to the next floor, but he could tell that whoever was screaming was on the stairs. So he did the most impulsive, ADHD thing he had ever done.

He let go of Tyson's hand and charged after it. The presence on the staircase soon became a silhouette. The figure realized where Percy was headed, and jumped up, sprinting up the stairs. It was wearing all black, and its face was hidden in the darkness.

It didn't take long for Percy to catch up with the figure, but it was fast. No matter how hard he ran, the figure seemed to run a little harder. They climbed to the third story, the forth, the fifth, until there was nowhere else to go.

The figure took off down the hallway and darted into a doorway, attempting to slam the door in Percy's face, but he was too close. He forced himself in the room before the door closed and slammed the figure up against the wall. It made a choking noise.

Percy noted that the figure was small and lean, and completely solid. In other words, definitely not a ghost.

"Who the hell do you think you are, terrorizing my little brother like that?" demanded Percy.

The figure didn't respond. Percy grabbed its hood and threw it back. When he did, he caught his breath. She had blonde, curly hair, tan skin and ice blue eyes. He was inches away from the face he had seen in the window, the "Ghost Girl" of Violet Hill.

* * *

**Aha! So, my plot unfolds even more...**

**Sorry about the short chapter, but this is a busy week for me... I'm filling out my high school application! **

**Today's theme song is for Jason and Piper! And here it is:**

**I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz!**

**If you have any suggestions for theme songs, let me know! Remember, individuals can have their own theme songs, too.**

**Thank you all for reviewing and favoriting and following! Y'all are the bestest! (Yes, academically inclined readers, I am aware that this is not a real word.)**

**-Rebel**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5**

"Who the hell do you think are, terrorizing my little brother like that?" The boy shouted, a fiery look in his eyes. He dug his nails into her wrists, by means of which he had pinned her to the wall. She didn't answer, instead trying to push him off of her. Her attempts were unsuccessful.

"Who are you?" he repeated. She looked down for a second.

"Annabeth," she said. "My name is Annabeth."

The boy's face took on an expression that she couldn't read, but she didn't let his moment of hesitation go unnoticed. She shoved him off of her and put as much distance between herself and him as possible. _I have to get out, _she thought, but the boy was between her and the door.

"Why did you..." the boy trailed off as he stared at Annabeth's wrist. She looked down to see what he was gawking at. It was the paste.

_Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn! _Annabeth mentally abused herself. How could she be so careless like this?

"That's not blood, is it?" said the boy.

Annabeth refused to answer.

"Let me see!" the boy demanded, stepping forward and grabbing her wrist to get a closer look.

"Hey!" Annabeth yelled. She punched his jaw with her free hand and wrenched her wrist out of his grasp.

The boy took a step back. He rubbed his jaw, looking dazed. "Sorry," he murmured.

"It's not blood," Annabeth confessed. "It's water, and flour put together, with some red dye mixed in."

Before the boy could respond, a scream rung out. "Percy!" she heard someone sobbing. "Percy, where are you?!"

"Oh, no," groaned Percy. "Tyson!" He sprinted out of the room and down the stairs. Annabeth followed him. She knew she couldn't let him leave until he promised that he wouldn't tell anyone about her.

When she got down stairs, a large boy with a babyish look about him was clutching on to Percy, crying his eyes out. Annabeth felt a pang of regret. She had done this. She had terrified a little boy, and had probably just sealed a therapy bill for his parents.

"Tyson, calm down!" said the boy - Percy? - reassuringly. "It's okay."

Annabeth's guilt weighed down on her, so she stepped forward and touched the boy's arm. "Hey," she said softly. "It's alright. You don't need to cry."

The boy sniffed loudly, wiping his eye with his sleeve. He hiccuped once, but he stopped crying. "Where... Where is ghost?" he asked.

Annabeth smiled. "There's no ghost," she said gently. "Just me."

Annabeth racked her brain for something little boys liked. She tried to remember all the time she had spent with Malcolm... An idea popped into her head.

"What just happened was a mechanics trap, and you got out of it! You wanna see how it works?"

The little boy's eyes lit up. "Yeah!" he said.

So Annabeth spent the next half an hour showing the boys the string that she used to pull the door shut from the stairs, her supply of "blood paste", and even how she poured it down the little crevices in the floor so that it would run down the walls. So basically, she showed two strangers the past five years of her life's work.

After she had, Tyson, as she learned was the younger boy's name, practically fell asleep right where he was standing. Percy put him in his sleeping bag.

Annabeth went to sit out on the terrace that looked into the woods. The sky was vacant of clouds, and the stars twinkled brightly above her.

She breathed in the warm May air as Percy walked out onto the terrace. He sat down next to her. "Why are you here?" he asked.

Annabeth shrugged. "I've got nowhere else to go."

Percy was silent for a moment. Then he said, "How long have you lived here?"

Annabeth didn't answer the question, instead coming up with one herself. "You and Tyson... You're the ones who just moved next door, right?"

Percy nodded glumly. "Yeah."

Annabeth gave a small laugh. "You're enthusiastic."

"Whatever," said Percy irritably. "I just don't see why my parents couldn't have waited until after the school year. Because of them I lost everything."

Annabeth stood up, placing her hands on her hips. "Everything?" she said sharply.

"Yes, everything!" said Percy, standing up as well. "I had to leave my best friend, my girlfriend, and my swim team!"

"Leaving them isn't the same as losing them," said Annabeth heatedly. "You still have you're parents, right?"

"Well, sort of, but-"

"You still have your brother," Annabeth continued, not letting him speak. "You still have people who care about you enough that they put a roof over your head! Face it, Percy, you're one of the luckiest kids alive!"

"And what would you know about that?" Percy retorted.

"My parents abandoned me," said Annabeth, her voice laced with malice. "I had a foster family until I was five, but they sent me back because they had their own child. They didn't feel any sort of bond after _five years_. After that I had been in seven foster homes by the time I was _eleven_!"

She was practically screaming now, stepping towards Percy. "I ran away after I got to the seventh house, though. And you know what? They didn't even report me missing. People found out about it after my social worker came to visit, and by then I was long gone."

Percy didn't say anything, but he took a step towards her. He seemed unsure of what to say.

"So, you see, Percy," said Annabeth, quieter now, but still angry. "You are incredibly lucky, at least to me. So get over it."

Annabeth sat back down. Percy did so as well. "How old are you now?" said Percy.

"Fifteen," said Annabeth, seeming tired from all that had just happened.

"You've been here for four years?" said Percy in surprise.

"Five. I'm almost sixteen," she said dully.

Percy nodded. "How to you get food and stuff?"

Annabeth shrugged. "I take it from the local grocery store. No one seems to notice it, anyways."

Percy sighed. "Look, Annabeth, I'm sorry, okay?"

Annabeth nodded, playing with her necklace. A thought occurred to her. "You can't tell anyone about me," she said.

"What do you mean?" said Percy, confused.

"I mean, you can't tell anyone that there's no ghost. Their fear is the only thing that keeps me from going back to the foster system, and probably juvenile detention, too," she explained.

Percy opened his mouth as if to protest, but seemed to think better of it.

"Oh, and... Percy? You... you can't come back to the mansion again," whispered Annabeth.

Percy stood up again. "What?"

"You can't come back!" Annabeth faced him, though she had to look up because he was taller. "If people notice you coming here, they'll get suspicious. You... you have to stay away."

"Annabeth!" he protested. "We could be your friends! We could help you! Isn't that what you wanted? Someone who actually _cares_ about you?"

"I'm sorry, Percy," she said levelly. "But that's the way it has to be."

Percy locked eyes with her. He was silent for a moment.

"Fine," he said, giving up. "If that's really the way you want it."

He walked inside. Annabeth heard his sneakers loudly clomping down the stairs. It wasn't until she was sure he was out of earshot did she gasp, letting the tears stream down her face.

After all those years of being alone, someone had actually wanted to be her friend. And she had turned down the offer of companionship. She knew it had been the right thing to do, but that didn't stop the aching in her chest as she realized that she would be forever alone.

* * *

**Hey, guys. Remember that thing I said about updating on Saturdays and Wednesdays? Yeah, well... Forget that.**

**I've got a lot going on. High school application process, basketball playoffs, choir, orchestra, not to mention HOMEWORK(Thank you, teacher)... You know how it is. So, I sincerely apologize, and I'll try to update better... Next... Time...**

**Update better?**

**Be a better updater?**

**Update more than good?**

**Update well?**

**Ah, whatever.**

**So, anyways, this chapter's theme song is:**

**Don't Forget by Demi Lovato for Jason and Reyna!**

**Special thanks to **daughter-of-zeus** for the song.**

**Reviews make me happy. When I'm happy I'm nice to people. When I'm nice to people I get to use the computer. When I get to use the computer I fool around on my music writing program for hours. When I get insanely bored with the music program, I... Email. When I realize I have no friends to email, I write!**

**So review! (You have no idea how long it took this dim-witted mind to come up with that.)**

**-Rebel**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

"_Annabeth!" She heard his voice call her name, but it seemed so distant._

_She tried to answer, but smoke filled her chest, and she began violently coughing. _Where are you?_ she begged silently._

_Her lungs were screaming for clean air. She felt the smoke fill her, penetrate her, use her. She collapsed onto the floor._

Percy, _she thought. _Help me! Please...

_Her eyes slowly began to close. Just before she was consumed by darkness, she saw a gray shape that was very different from the smoke. It was a little girl. She looked so terribly heartbroken that Annabeth wished she could reach out and hug her._

_But the girl stepped forward, seeming to pass right through Annabeth's body. As she did, Annabeth felt a strange sentiment of freedom, almost as if she was floating. Suddenly, she felt Percy right next to her. "Annabeth?" he coughed. "Where did you come from?" _

_She gasped, realizing that she was no longer inhaling smoke. She opened her eyes to confirm this, but when she did, the smoke was back and stronger than ever. She felt the heat begin to singe the ends of her hair._

_"Annabeth," Percy whispered, staring at her. "Your eyes."_

_"My... My eyes?" she said. She flames were so intense Annabeth broke out in a sweat. _

_"They're gray," said Percy, horrified. _

* * *

Annabeth gasped, sitting bolt upright in her bed. Sun was shining through the window. Her battery-powered alarm clock read _3:30 PM_.

It had all been a dream. She took a deep breath. Just a dream... With Percy in it? Why had he been there?

Annabeth tried to push it to the back of her mind.

Instead of pondering over it, she got out of her bed and went over to look out the window and watched as Percy and Tyson got off the bus. Tyson ran ahead into the house, but Percy looked towards the mansion.

He saw Annabeth and locked eyes with her. She looked away after a moment, closing the blinds.

As it turned out, Percy had been able to convince Tyson that Annabeth had been a dream when they woke up in the morning. When they had left, Tyson was still half asleep, so maybe he didn't even remember coming to the house.

Getting up this early in the day was strange for Annabeth. Usually she slept during the day and wandered during the night, as had become her custom. Night was the time when it was easiest to get things from the grocery store, or to go for a walk without people spotting her.

Annabeth sighed, sitting down on the bed. "What do you think?" she said to the walls. "Am I going crazy?"

It was a Monday, two days after the boys next door had invaded the mansion. Annabeth found herself talking to the walls more regularly now. She tried to convince herself it was just out of habit, but she truthfully knew better. It was because when Percy and Tyson had come, she had felt a sense of companionship, something she hadn't experienced since she left Luke. The taste of companionship had left her lonelier than ever.

Annabeth stood up and walked over to what she called her "Picture Wall". She grabbed her red marker and marked off another day on her calendar.

She sighed, and looked to left of it. There was a picture of her and her fourth foster family, the Castellans. It was the one family where she had truly felt like she belonged.

She had arrived there when she was seven years old. Her father, Hermes, had taken care of her. Her mother, May, always made sure she had enough to eat. And her brothers, Malcolm and Luke... Well, she missed them the most.

Malcolm was a year younger than her, and Annabeth had loved playing the role of the older sister. The two of them had argued nonstop for two years, and she had loved every second of it.

Luke had been three years older than her, and was possibly the most overprotective human being on the planet. He had been stubborn, conceited, and power-struck, but he had been Annabeth's best friend. They did everything together, until "that day".

For the short two years that Annabeth had lived with the Castellan, she had been, in a word, happy. That was, until the fateful day when her nine-year-old self would walk into the kitchen to see May collapsed onto the floor.

May had suffered from a heart attack. She died shortly after, leaving the entire family stunned from grief. Hermes was home less and less often, and Malcolm became a bully at school. Luke was the one thing that stayed constant for Annabeth during that period of time.

He was the only one who had heard her crying in the middle of the night, and came to hold her and rock her back to sleep. He had been the only one who walked her to school and home from school every day without fail. He had been the only one to notice the fact that she was bullied at school, and he put an end to it.

Two weeks after May had died, social services had stormed the house, declaring that the family was no longer fit for housing a foster child. She still remembered the social worker prying her hand out of Luke's and forcing her to get into the car. She still remembered Luke calling "I'll find you, Annabeth. I'll get you back, I promise!"

Of course, she knew now that what he said had just been empty words, nothing real. _I'll never see him again,_ she reminded herself.

And, God, did Annabeth miss him.

A squirrel hurrying along the rafters of the room next to hers startled Annabeth back into reality. It was starting to get dark out. She checked her clock. _6:47 PM_.

Stunned that she had spent so long reminiscing, Annabeth pulled on a pair of whitewashed jeans and an old, faded tee shirt. It was time to get to work.

She picked up her locket up off her chest and gently brushed it against her lips. It had been a tradition ever since she was a baby.

_Tap, tap, tap._

Annabeth froze. Noise was not uncommon around the mansion, as many critters had made their home in the abandoned living space, but this noise was different.

_Tap, tap, tap._

"Annabeth!" Someone said her name, and it startled her so badly that she jumped.

She looked around wildly for a few seconds until her eyes rested on her window. "Percy?!"

The boy was standing outside her first floor window, trying to pry it open. "Annabeth!" he hissed again through the glass.

Annabeth stomped over and shoved the window open. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?" she demanded furiously. "I told you not to come back!"

"I know, I know!" said Percy, his eyes wild, his voice seeming almost panicked. "But I need your help!"

"What is it?" she said through clenched teeth.

"It's Tyson," Percy said breathlessly. "He's missing."

* * *

**Duh duh duh! This chapter was really fun to write! My fingers just sort of moved of their own accord, talking about Annabeth...**

**Today's theme song is:**

**Raise Your Weapon by Deadmau5 for Thalia and Luke!**

**[Which, by the way, is my favorite non-cannon:'( ]**

**Special thanks to **Mystica Tempest** for the song!**

**I love your reviews. I really do. The make me smile like the sun. Fall out of bed. Sing like a bird. Dizzy in my head.**

**(I know that was lame, but that song is stuck in my head!)**

**-Rebel**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

Annabeth pushed a branch out of her way. Almost all traces of sunlight were gone from the sky, and she and Percy still hadn't found Tyson.

"What about your parents?" she said, as a light rain began to trickle down on them.

"They went to Gray Harbor for the night to visit my grandparents," explained Percy.

"Gray Harbor? Where's that?" said Annabeth, shining her flashlight through the trees. It occurred to her that looking for a little boy in the vast woods of New Hampshire was about as hopeless as finding a toothpick in a straw pile, but she decided not to say anything outloud just yet.

"Just about a half an hour away from here," said Percy.

"Tyson!" called Annabeth, abandoning the conversation.

Percy followed suit. They searched high and low through the woods, even wading in the stream to try and find Tyson, but the little boy continued to evade them.

It was pouring rain by the time Annabeth leaned up against a tree to catch her breath. Percy glanced at his watch, squinting to make out the numbers in the darkness. "It's 9:30 already! He's probably freezing, and he could be hurt, or..." Percy trailed off.

Annabeth panted, still out of breath. She shook her head. "No. We're going to find him. He has to be somewhere out here!"

She took off into the woods again, ignoring the fact that her drenched clothes were sticking to her body uncomfortably and that her wet hair was plastered to her head. She kept calling Tyson's name and jogged through the puddles that were rapidly forming at her feet.

It didn't occur to Annabeth that it might not have been a good idea to be running fast in a dark, slippery area until she fell. She stumbled and her knee crashed against a tree root. She cried out.

"Annabeth!" said Percy, pushing branches out of the way to get to her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she said, standing up slowly. she tested her weight on the knee, leaning on the tree for support. She grimaced as a sharp bolt of pain shot up through her leg, but she did her best to ignore it.

"I'm fine," she repeated, mostly to convince herself. "Come on, we have to-"

"Daddy!" sobbed a voice from above them.

Annabeth and Percy looked up slowly, using their hands to shield their eyes from the rain. Tyson sat in the large oak tree above them, clinging to the wet branches. From where Annabeth was standing, she thought she could see him slipping.

"Tyson!" yelled Percy. "What are you doing?"

"Want to get down," cried Tyson, hugging his branch.

"I've got this," said Annabeth. She pushed her flashlight into Percy's hands.

"Annabeth, wait!" Percy called, but it was too late. Annabeth had already pulled herself into the tree.

She used her hands to feel the shape of the tree, looking for a handhold. She grasped a small knot and pulled herself upward, carefully placing her feet in the place where the branch met the trunk.

She grabbed the branch to her left and pushed off the one she was already on. Unfortuneately for her, it was so dark that she couldn't see the patch of moss underfoot. She let out a screech as her foot slipped off the branch and she was left dangling twenty-five feet off the ground, her hands clinging to slippery bark.

Percy cried out her name and shined the flashlight on her. "That would have been a bit more helpful ten seconds ago," she muttered.

She somehow managed to pull herself up so that she was leaning over the branch. She got her feet securely on the limb underneath her, in the process kicking her sneakers off. The rubber bottoms didn't seem to be so helpful in this situation.

She climbed ten feet higher, rapidly closing the gap between her and Tyson. _How did a little kid get so damn high in this tree? _she thought to herself, panting with the exertion.

"Tyson," she said once she had gotten to him, reaching out her hand. "I've got you. Come down."

Tyson whimpered and shook his head. "You are... You are girl from Tyson's dream?"

Annabeth sighed. "Looks like it, bud," she replied.

Tyson slowly slipped down from the branch he was perched on and took Annabeth's hand. She led him down the tree, carefully avoiding the spot where she had nearly fallen.

As they reached solid ground, Annabeth breathed a sigh of relief. Tyson ran over to Percy, and Percy embraced him. Then he pulled back, his hands on Tyson's shoulders. "What were you doing?" he shouted, shaking Tyson. "You could have gotten hurt, or gotten hypothermia! How could you-"

"Percy!" Annabeth wrenched his hands off of Tyson's shoulders. "Stop it! He's scared!"

Tyson continued sobbing. Though his words were barely audible over the large shuddering gasps and the ever pouring rain, Annabeth was able to make out a few words. "Playing... Want to explore... Lost... Scared..."

Annabeth sighed and put her hand on Tyson's shoulder. "It's okay," she said soothingly. "It's gonna be okay, Tyson. Let's go home now."

"Wait!" cried Tyson. "Who are you? You are... Not a dream?"

"I'm not a dream," confirmed Annabeth. "I'm your neighbor. Now come on, lets get inside before the rain gets any worse."

Annabeth didn't see how the rain could possibly get worse, though. It was a torrential downpour. The flashlight's batteries had died so that the only light was the occasional clap of thunder.

It was a miracle, but after an hour and a half, they finally made it back to Percy and Tyson's house. It was nearly midnight by the time they got inside.

Once Tyson had gotten some dry clothes and a few blankets wrapped around him, Annabeth turned to leave. Percy left Tyson lying next to the lit fireplace and followed her.

"Annabeth," he said.

"Look," she said, turning around to face him. "Just because I helped you out this once doesn't mean that-"

"Stay here tonight," he interrupted, his face blank and his voice flat.

"What?" said Annabeth.

"It's still pouring outside. You're cold, and hurt. Spend the night here and you can go back when the rain stops," explained Percy.

Annabeth looked down. "Well..."

Percy sighed. "You can have my bed. It's the second door on the right upstairs."

Annabeth was silent for a moment. "Thanks," she said. She walked quietly up the stairs to the room Percy had instructed her, and she could feel his eyes watching her until she turned the corner.

* * *

**Hey, guys! I seriously just mapped out the ENTIRE story of Ghost Girl, so don't worry- the rest of the fanfiction is very thought out:)**

**If you guys want something to do, there's an awesome Percabeth story you should look at; It's called "Cinderella" by **horse-crazy girl13**, and it rocks. There are simply not enough adjectives in the world to describe how amazing it is. So check it out!**

**Today's theme song is very special; it is for all of the demigods in the world:**

**Sing by My Chemical Romance!**

**Thanks for reviewing:)**

**-Rebel**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

"Come on!" Percy tugged Tyson along. It was a Thursday afternoon and the sun was shining. Percy had a good feeling about the day.

Percy crept up to Annabeth's window and tapped on it slightly. When there was no response, he tapped again, a little more irritatedly. "Annabeth," he whispered.

A sleepy looking Annabeth in torn up jeans and a black tank top opened the window. "You weren't supposed to come back," she said menacingly, though the effect was ruined by a gaping yawn.

"What's with you?" said Percy. "Tyson just came to thank you, like any polite person would do. What do you say, Tyson?"

"Thank you for helping me not fall out of tree and go CRASH!" said Tyson happily.

Annabeth gave a small smile. "No problem, bud."

"So," said Percy, hoisting himself up into the window frame and sitting on it. "How's life in the Haunted Mansion, Ghost Girl?"

Annabeth smiled slightly and shrugged. "Same as ever, I guess."

"So, that knee's not bothering you?" he said.

She shook her head. "Trust me, I've endured _way_ worse than that. It was nothing."

Percy saw her stiffen as the sound of an approaching vehicle filled the air. "Come on," she hissed. "Inside."

Percy lifted Tyson into the room, then crawled in himself. The three of them stood there and watched from the window as Paul got out of his old truck and walked into the house.

Percy released his breath. "He didn't see us," he said.

Annabeth didn't respond for a moment. She stared at the window, looking at something in the driveway. "That's a nice looking truck," she said.

Percy snorted. "Are you kidding me? It's a used 1995 Chevy. My parents got it the year I was born. It's a piece of _crap_."

Annabeth looked out at the truck again. Percy was wondering why she had taken interest in it when Tyson pointed to a picture hanging in the corner.

Annabeth stood next to him. "That... That's my old family. See, that's May, and Hermes, they were the parents," she said, pointing to each person in turn. "And there's Malcolm. He was your age the last time I saw him."

"Who's that?" said Percy, pointing to another boy in the picture.

Annabeth's eyes darkned. "Luke," she said, turning away from Percy.

"This is my calendar," she said. Percy noticed that almost every day had a red marker slash through it. Tyson noticed too.

"Why are there red marks?" he said.

Annabeth opened her mouth, and then closed it again. "I... Well, it marks of the number of days I've been alone."

Tyson clapped. "You don't have to mark it off anymore! Percy and Tyson will be Annabeth's friend!" he declared gleefully.

Annabeth smiled uneasily. "That's really nice of you, Tyson, but you can't come back here any more."

Percy watched as Tyson's lower lip began to tremble. _Oh, you've done it now, Annabeth, _he thought.

"Why not?" whimpered Tyson.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Annabeth," he said. "There's hardly anyone who ever comes out here. And besides, we hid from Paul just fine, didn't we?"

"Paul?" said Annabeth questioningly.

"Our stepdad," mumbled Percy. "Anyways, can't we please come visit you sometimes? Please?"

Annabeth stared hard at him for a second. "Why do you want to be my friend so badly?" she said.

Percy shrugged. "You're a mystery, Annabeth. And I always wanted to try being a detective. Plus," he added. "You wouldn't have to be so alone anymore."

Annabeth looked down for a second.

They were distracted by Tyson holding up a piece of paper. "What is this?"

It was a crayon drawing. Percy could just barely make out the form of a navy blue truck that looked a heck of a lot like their family's truck when Annabeth snatched it out of Tyson's hands.

"Nothing," she said, stuffing it in her back pocket.

"So..." she said as Tyson continued wandering around her room. "You mean it? You... You really want to be my friend?" she said.

Percy nodded earnestly. "Yes!"

She smiled slowly, and Percy felt a fluttering feeling in his stomach. "Alright, then," she said softly,

"What's that?" said Tyson, pointing to something lying on the unmade bed.

Annabeth gasped. She snatched the shiny trinket up from the bed and sat down. "Oh, no!" she moaned. "I forgot to take it off this morning. It must have broken while I slept!"

Percy moved forward to get a better look. She was holding a necklace. It had a gold chain, which a locket on the end shaped like a small disk. On the face of the locket was an elaborate red and gold emblem. It struck Percy as familiar, though he couldn't remember where from.

"Wait... You forgot to take it off in the morning and it came off in your sleep?" said Percy.

"Yeah, I usually sleep during the day, from around five in the morning to six at night," she said.

"Of course," said Percy. "Silly me."

"Where did you get?" said Tyson, staring in awe at the broken necklace.

"My... My mom and dad gave it to me," she said. Percy glanced at her questioningly. "It was the only thing the left with me, besides... Never mind."

"Hey, maybe I can fix it," said Percy. "If you let me take it home. Also, that emblem on it... I swear I've seen it before somewhere. Maybe I could do a little research on it while I'm fixing it, and..."

He didn't continue. Annabeth's eyes had taken on a cold, steely look. "Maybe you and Tyson should leave now," she suggested cooly.

"Look, Annabeth, I didn't mean-"

"Just go!" she said. "I've got stuff to do."

Tyson said goodbye to Annabeth, totally having missed the tension, and they began walking home.

Percy kicked a small stone lying in the yard. What was it with that girl? And the necklace? Why was it so important to her that she wouldn't even let him fix it?

Percy had a lot of questions about this "Ghost Girl", and he was determined to find the answers.

* * *

**Eh. Not my favorite chapter, but what did you guys think?**

**Today's theme song is another one for Percy and Annabeth:**

**What I Did For Love from the Broadway Musical "A Chorus Line"**

**Come on, guys! I can't think of ALL the theme songs! Leave suggestions! I would be ever so thankful!**

**Thank you so much for reviewing. They almost make me forget how much I hate my school.**

**So help me forget a little more by reviewing!**

** -Rebel**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9**

Annabeth stared at the necklace in her hand. The pendant had been broken off the chain so that it was two separate pieces.

She couldn't decide. Percy had offered to fix it for her- and she couldn't stand to see it this way- but she wasn't completely sure whether she trusted him or not.

This was all her parents had left her, besides a note with her name on it. Of course, she had never been able to open the locket, but it still meant something to her. If Percy were to lose the necklace, it would be gone forever.

Also, she had never told anyone, not even Luke, of its existence. The idea of just handing it off to someone that she just meet a few weeks ago seemed absurd. But then again, if she didn't, it would stay broken for the rest of her life, and that was a horrible fate.

Annabeth groaned and kicked her bedpost. "What should I do?" she asked the walls.

They seemed to be laughing silently at her. _You silly, stupid little girl,_ they seemed to say. _You know what you _should_ do, but there is always more you _can_ do._

Annabeth took a deep breath. This was it. This was diving into the deep end. There was no turning back.

She glanced at her clock. It was nearly midnight. She hoped that Percy would be asleep.

She opened her window and climbed out, chiding herself for being nervous. _It will be fine, _she thought, attempting unsuccessfully to reassure herself. She sprinted down the hill and across the field over to the house. She remembered that Percy's window had a tree next to it. When she found the tree, she commenced climbing up it.

It was a skinny evergreen tree, so the suit was proven tricky, but eventually she made her way up to the top. She wrapped the chain around the pendant so that it wouldn't fall and put it on the window sill.

Annabeth climbed down the tree and raced back to the mansion, her lithe legs moving faster than the wind. Once she was back, she climbed into her room and pulled a piece of paper out from under her mattress.

She unfolded the drawing. It was a crayon picture that she had made when she was a little girl of a blur Chevy pick up truck. She hugged the picture to her chest and bowed her head.

Annabeth was aware that the tears were falling were smudging the crayon, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to see the actual car. All she wanted was her necklace. All she needed was her parents.

* * *

**Sorry guys. It was the worst (and shortest) chapter ever:( I needed a filler, though.**

**Today's theme song is for Percy and Annabeth!**

**Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift**

**Thank you to everybody who suggested this. There too many of you to put all of your names in...**

**Review!**

**-Rebel**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 10**

Percy groaned in frustration, grasping the locket in his hand. He had woken up that morning to see it glinting in the sunlight on his windowsill. When he had come home from school, he began his research. He had tried everything. He had racked his brain for information about the locket, but he couldn't make any comparisons.

And, of course, he fixed it. When it was about seven 'o clock in the evening, Percy figured that Annabeth would be wanting her locket back. He was just about to walk up to the mansion when he heard a tap on his window. Looking out, he saw Annabeth clinging to the top of the tree. He opened the window.

"Did you fix it?" she said.

Percy held the necklace up on its chain and it sparkled. Annabeth hoisted herself up onto the window sill and gently took the necklace put of his outstretched hand.

"Thanks," she murmured. "Could you, uh, help me put it back on?" she said, gesturing to her neck.

Percy nodded and stepped back. "Come inside."

She slid onto the floor soundlessly and handed Percy the necklace, pulling her hair up. Percy reached around her neck and clasped the gold chain together.

"There you go," he said.

Annabeth smiled. "Thanks," she said. "Really, I mean it."

She took a deep breath. Percy watched as she tucked the necklace back into her shirt. "Okay, so, you remember that picture that Tyson had?" she said. Percy nodded.

Annabeth sat down on his bed. "Well... I drew that."

"I had gathered that much," said Percy, sitting down next to her.

"Well, I drew it when I was six... Because of something my social worker told me," she choked out.

Percy scrunched his eyebrows. "You don't have to tell me," he pointed out.

"Yes, I do," replied Annabeth. "Anyways, my... My report said that I was born in a... A truck."

"Like the one in your drawing?" questioned Percy.

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah. I don't know how my social worker found it out, but... It was a navy blue truck. A _Chevrolet_."

Percy stared at her. "So you think..." he started slowly. "You were born in our truck?"

Annabeth blushed slightly. "Yeah," she admitted.

"Well," said Percy, standing up. "There's only one way to find out."

Annabeth's eyes gleamed. "Really?" she said.

Percy grinned and offered her his hand. She took it and pulled herself up. Together they climbed out the window and raced to the driveway. Percy pulled on the car door and scowled. "I keep forgetting you don't have to lock your vehicle here," he muttered.

Annabeth laughed. "Welcome to Summerville," she teased.

They both climbed into the backseat. Percy watched as Annabeth ran her hands over the seat. "Just thinking that my mom might've sat here..." She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't really have to. Percy understood.

He absentmindedly ran his hand along the leather. It slowly traveled to the bottom of the seat. Then, he felt something. He narrowed his eyes and pulled it out. He had never bothered to check under the seats before. There was no reason to.

The object was a thin sheet of paper. He turned it over and discovered that it was a picture. Annabeth gasped.

In the picture, there was a woman who looked to be about eighteen years old who was lying in the backseat of the truck. Her curly blond hair was pulled back into a pony tail and her gray eyes were half closed with exhaustion. Her skin gleamed with sweat and she was covered with a blanket. In her arms was a baby.

Annabeth made a choking noise. Her trembling fingers took the photo from Percy. "If that's not proof, then I don't know what is," said Percy.

Annabeth didn't say anything, but she opened the door of the truck and moved to get out Percy followed her. She seemed about to run away when the screen door slammed shut. Percy froze as Paul and his mother walked out of the house.

Percy begged Annabeth silently not to run. If she took off, things would be even worse for her. Sally walked right up to them. "Percy," she said. "Is this one of your friends? I haven't met her."

"Um... Yeah." Percy didn't offer a name.

Sally tilted her head questioningly at him and turned to Percy. "My name's Sally. I'm Percy's mom." She stuck out her hand.

Annabeth smiled slightly and shook it. "My name's Annabeth."

"Annabeth? I don't remember seeing your name on the sophomore list," said Sally.

Annabeth tensed up next to him. Before she could make up any kind of excuse, Paul stepped forward. "I saw you," he said. "Up at the mansion. I thought I was going crazy, so I went up to check it out. I saw the stuff, but I didn't tell anyone about it..."

Annabeth stepped back. Her body slightly pressed into Percy's, but she didn't seem to notice. Percy didn't mind at all.

"So... you're this 'Ghost Girl' all of my coworkers keep talking about?" said Sally.

"Not exactly," muttered Annabeth.

Paul scrunched his eyebrows, seeming to figure it out. "You _live_ there?"

"She never said that," pointed out Percy.

"But it's true, isn't it?" said Sally, starting to look upset.

Annabeth didn't say anything, just looked down at the ground. Percy noticed that she had folded the picture and stuffed it in her back pocket.

"Are you alone in there?" said Sally gently.

Percy put his hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "Mom, _please_ don't say anything. Annabeth's got no where else to go."

Paul sighed. "Percy, are you asking us not to alert the authorities? Annabeth's a minor. She doesn't have any legal right to be-"

"Look," said Annabeth. "I've lived here since I was eleven. I was in the foster system before that, and I'd sooner kill myself than go back to that life."

Paul opened his mouth, then closed it again, unsure of what to say.

Sally looked at Percy, seemingly trying to evaluate the situation. "Okay," she gave in. "We won't report you. As long," she added. "As you promise me something."

Annabeth looked up with hopeful eyes. "What is it?"

Sally smiled and put her hands on Annabeth's shoulders. "That you'll at least come over once and a while so we can make sure that you're okay."

Annabeth grinned. "I think I could manage that."

Percy watched as Annabeth continued talking to Paul and Sally. He got the feeling that maybe, just maybe, Annabeth was slowly being woven into their family.

* * *

**Hey guys! This is an awkward chapter. I apologize if I rushed it.**

**Today's theme song is for Percy and Annabeth (again)!**

**He Won't Go by Adele**

**Special thanks to **Mystica Tempest** for the theme song.**

**Review! (That's all I can say when I'm feeling especially uncreative.)**

**-Rebel**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 11**

As the bus drove away, Percy heard a voice call out to him and Tyson. "Hey!" Annabeth was walking down from the mansion. Over the last few weeks, it had become their custom to meet after the boys got home from school.

Tyson laughed and ran up to her, hugging her. She smiled and waved to Percy. "Are you excited?" she said, walking up to him.

"You have no idea!" he exclaimed.

"Well, I do remember how ecstatic I was to finish the fifth grade," she pointed out. Tomorrow was the last day of school. Percy longed for the freedom of summer.

They walked into the Jackson's house. Annabeth grabbed an apple from the bowl as the boys slung their backpacks onto the table. Over the past three weeks, Annabeth had become a part of their daily lives. She was over at their house often. She ate with them a lot, and some times even spent the night. The subject of her staying with the family had tentatively bubbled to the surface, but Annabeth had refused to talk about it. That was fine with Percy. He like things just they way they were.

Annabeth was, in a few words, his best friend. At school, Percy tried not to talk to people too much. He had slow-moving friendships with a few of the kids, but nothing very profound. Annabeth was the only one he could be himself around.

Both of Percy's parents, especially Sally, had taken a liking to Annabeth. Sally tried her best to be a sort of surrogate mother. There were times when Annabeth pushed her away, but more recently, Annabeth seemed to be getting used to it. It was almost as if she was slowly becoming a normal girl again, instead of the damaged, heartbroken girl they had found nearly a month ago. She had even altered her sleeping schedule a bit so that she could see the family.

There was one thing that happened when Annabeth was around that confused Percy, though. Whenever she was close to him, his heart would begin to beat a little bit faster. When she sat down next to him on the couch and their knees touched, the contact was the only thing he was aware of, though she didn't even seem to notice it. Whenever she smiled, his stomach twisted itself into a pretzel and then untwisted itself again.

He had talked to Grover about it over the phone (in the strictest of confidence, of course.) Grover's diagnosis was as plain and simple as they come: "Sounds as if you like her." But Percy knew that couldn't be true. He had "liked" Rachel when they first started going out, and it was nothing compared to this. He had "liked" cheerleader Kelli Thompson when she had kissed his cheek at the fourth grade Christmas party. No, this wasn't a simple "like".

When Percy had asked Grover what he should do about it, Grover's solution was straightforward: "Tell her." Percy had tried unsuccessfully to explain to Grover that things such as this weren't so easy, but Grover didn't seem to understand.

"Plus," Percy had pointed out. "I do still have a girlfriend."

"Percy!" Sally snapped him out of his thoughts. "You and Tyson need to pack your bags."

"Why?" he questioned.

Sally didn't answer him. Instead, she turned to Annabeth, smiling broadly. "Annabeth, we want you to come on a trip with us!" she announced.

"A... Trip?" said Annabeth uneasily.

"Not a big one. Just a weekend trip to Gray Harbor to visit my parents. Gray Harbor is only about half an hour away from here, so you wouldn't be traveling far," explained Sally.

"I thought people didn't know about Annabeth our friend!" said Tyson.

"We can tell my parents you're a family friend. It's the truth," said Sally, the hopeful glint in her eye making her look ten years younger.

"I think it's a great idea," Percy chimed in, leaning on the table. "I mean, when was the last time you left Summerville, Annabeth?"

Annabeth looked down for a moment, as if the kitchen's tile floor held the answers to her questions. Then she looked up, and grinned. "Alright," she said. "I'll come."

Sally clapped her hands in delight and hugged Annabeth. Annabeth looked a bit shocked for a moment, but slowly returned the hug. Then Sally took Tyson by the hand and led him away. Annabeth turned to leave and Percy followed her.

"So, you finally get to get out of this place," said Percy, walking alongside her as the trudged up the hill. "Even if it is only to Gray Harbor."

"I've never seen the ocean before," breathed Annabeth, her eyes shining. "What's it like?"

"It's kind of blue-ish green. It's cold. It's wet," said Percy.

"Alright, I get it," laughed Annabeth, gently knocking his shoulder with hers. "I mean, what is it like to you?"

"It... It makes you feel small. Like, no matter how big you are, the ocean will always be bigger than you. And it... It's selfish. The little waves the lap at the shore always want something, and they always get it. If you don't watch out, the ocean will swallow you whole."

Annabeth turned her quizzical eyes on him. "What do you mean?"

Percy shook his head. "Nothing." Doing his best to change the subject, he reached down and plucked a violet from the hillside. He sat down on the grass. "I can see why the named this place Violet Hill," he joked.

Annabeth sat down next to him. "That's only part of the reason. During the civil war, cemeteries were referred to as 'Violet Hills'. The Civil War was also around the time when the supposed murder of the 'Ghost Girl' happened. An old village elder cursed the hill with that name, and it stuck."

Percy grinned. "Silly me, thinking it had been named for a Coldplay song."

Annabeth laughed. They sat in silence for a moment, just picking violets and tying the stems together. Then, all of a sudden, Annabeth began to sing.

"_I took my love down to Violet Hill; there we sat in the snow._"

Her voice was quiet and soft, as if she didn't dare go louder.

"_All that time she was silent and still. So if you love me, won't you let me know? If you love me,_"

Annabeth looked up and Percy realized that their faces were inches apart. He could feel her breath as she sang the last line.

"_Won't you let me know?_"

He just sat there for a minute, then backed away slowly. He took the chain that they had been knotting together and placed it on her head, creating a circlet of violets to go with her blonde hair. He awkwardly stood up and scratched his neck.

"I'll, um, see you tomorrow, I guess," he said stupidly.

Annabeth nodded, as if in a daze. "Yeah," she said.

Percy turned and half-walked, half-jogged back to his house when he got to the door, he turned around to see Annabeth sitting in the same spot, staring at nothing, the violet crown still on her head.

* * *

**Wow. That chapter was super fun to write. I love romance!**

**Today's song is for Luke in his last moments.**

**Wide Awake by Katy Perry**

**Special thanks to** Mystica Tempest** for the theme song. I really especially like this one, because I think it fits perfectly. If you've got any theme song suggestions, let me know!**

**I'm thinking of changing the story summary so it won't be so boring. Any ideas?**

**Even if you hated this chapter more than you hate Brussels sprouts, more than you hate extra Geometry homework, more than you hate Cora on Once Upon A Time, let me know! Review!**

**-Rebel**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12**

"Ready to go?" Paul lifted Annabeth's duffle bag into the back of the truck.

"Daddy!" Tyson ran up to Paul. It wrenched Percy's heart a little to hear Tyson call their stepfather that, but he didn't know any better. "Can we ride in the back?"

Paul glanced over at Sally, who was watching with a somewhat amused expression. "Well... I suppose it's only half an hour on a back road..."

"Of course you can, bud," said Sally, lifting him into the back of the pick-up truck.

"Alright!" cheered Percy, launching himself into the back as well.

Annabeth laughed and climbed in with them. She sat down next to Percy, seemingly unaware that their shoulders were touching. He was doing everything in his power not to focus on the physical contact.

Paul and Sally got into the front of the truck. Annabeth looked at the mansion, as if wary to leave it, even if for just a weekend.

Percy noticed this and nudged her. "Hey," he said. "It's going to be okay."

She looked down and brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. "I know," she said. Percy gave her a skeptical look. "I do!" she insisted, laughing. "I mean, if I have to go anywhere, I'm glad I'm going with you."

Percy froze. He ran that sentence over and over again through his mind. What did it mean? Annabeth stiffened as well, her train of thought seeming to be backtracking. "You... Guys. Your family," she added slowly.

Percy smiled and nodded, with some difficulty. "Yeah," he agreed.

The truck pulled out of the driveway and headed off down the dirt road. The warm air and the wind rushing by created a pleasant atmosphere. Annabeth lifted her head up and grinned. She flung her arms up into the air, letting the wind flow by them, sometimes catching them on a low hanging tree branch.

After they had been in the car for a few minutes, Percy's phone went off. He glanced at the caller ID. _Incoming call: Rachael Dare_. He sighed and hit '_Ignore_'. He did not feel like talking to her just then.

Annabeth looked at him. "Aren't you gonna answer that?" she said.

He shrugged. "It's not worth the trouble."

After half an hour of bumping down the road, they finally entered Gray Harbor. Annabeth seemed to be slowly sliding down into the bed of the truck, as if someone would see her, recognize her, and pluck her out of the moving vehicle.

The truck pulled up in front of a small blue house that Percy knew to be his grandparents. Their house was just across the street from the waterfront. Annabeth gasped when she saw the ocean and leaped out of the truck as soon as it stopped.

She ran across the road to the docks and got down flat on her stomach. She reached down slowly and touched the water. Percy watched her as she twirled her hand around in it. She laughed, seeming like a little girl who had been deprived of something for a very long time. Which, in a way, she had been.

As soon as Percy heard his grandparent's voices, though, his heart filled with contempt. He wanted to go over there and grab Annabeth away from the water, but he just turned away. That water had stolen his father from him. He wasn't going to let the water win this time, but one thing was for sure: he wasn't going anywhere near it.

* * *

**I know, I know, this chapter is really short too, but my muse is not speaking to me today:( Also, I have high school work to worry about... Was anyone as nervous as I am about going into the ninth grade?!**

**Today's theme song is for Annabeth and Luke!**

**Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri**

**Special thanks to **horse-crazy girl13** and another person who's name fanfiction won't let me enter ****for this theme song!**

**Ha... 2 coincidences about that... I'm watching a TV show about a horse whisperer and one of the horses is name Apollo... Also, I'm singing a Christina Perri song in a talent show this afternoon... THE IRONY!**

**Got any suggestions for theme songs? Let me know!**

**-Rebel**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 13**

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Guys, I know I've said this before, but seriously; I know Annabeth's eyes are gray. I swear I did not make a mistake. It is part of the story. Thanks for your lovely reviews, I really enjoy them, but could please stop reminding me what color her eyes are? I promise, the reason will be explained towards the end of the story. ;)**

* * *

"Come on, Percy!" called Tyson gleefully. He and Annabeth were wading in the shallows near the rocky beach. They had arrived at Percy's grandparent's house yesterday. His grandmother seemed to like Annabeth enough, and his grandfather- Well, his grandfather didn't really say much, so nobody could tell.

Percy didn't say anything. He just sat on the rocks, keeping his distance from the water. He refused to go anywhere near it. Not after everything that it had done to him. He was content with just sitting back and watching Annabeth. She seemed so entranced by the water, as if it would help her find something she was missing.

Just to clarify, he didn't hate all water. In fact, he had been the star on the swimming team back in New York. It was just the ocean that really got to him.

"Percy!" groaned Annabeth. "You're not just going to sit there the whole time, are you?" she said.

"There's no reason not to," he mumbled.

He watched as Annabeth's face lit up. "Alright, you asked for it!" Before Percy could realize what was happening, Annabeth's hand went down under the water and pushed forward. Cascading droplets of seawater were tossed at him.

"Hey!" Percy jumped up, momentarily forgetting his own contempt for the water. He leaped into the shallows and began assaulting Annabeth with handfuls of water.

She squealed and began splashing him even harder, but she was no match for him. At one point, the waves that Percy was sending her way grew so large that she fell down. She was completely soaking wet now, so it didn't matter that she was sitting in the freezing cold ocean water.

Percy laughed and offered a hand down to help Annabeth up. She grabbed his hand as if she was accepting the help, but then coyly dragged him down next to her. The wrestled on the ground for a while, until Percy finally remembered that he was supposed to despise the water.

He wordlessly left Annabeth in the water and sat down on the rock beach, allowing his feet to stick into the water. Annabeth trudged up and sat down next him, stretching her legs out into the water. "Why do you hate the ocean so much?" she questioned.

"It's been too unforgiving," muttered Percy.

He glanced at Annabeth. Being the expert that she was, she normally seemed to mask her emotions well, but Percy was almost certain that he saw a flicker of hurt pass through her eyes before she maintained control.

He sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just..." It was now or never. He either told Annabeth about his dad, or she would never find out.

"My dad," he blurted out before thinking twice. "My real dad, not Paul. He... he was in the Navy. When I was little, whenever he had time off he'd take me out on his motor boat. We'd go just far enough offshore that we couldn't see the mainland, and bring out the picnic Mom had packed for us."

He wasn't sure if Annabeth was listening, but he refused to allow himself to look at her, so he just stared out over the ocean.

"After we ate lunch, Dad would take out this pack of cards that were all shaped like diamonds." Percy smiled at the memory. "We'd play all sorts of card games. My favorite was War, although Dad never seemed to like that one."

Percy heard Annabeth make a small noise with her throat, but he kept talking, no matter how many times his voice hitched. "He could do this lame magic trick. Telling me to pick a number, finding the card. Then he'd fold it in half, making a huge crease. He'd put it in the middle of his palm, make a fist around it, and tell me to blow on it. When he opened his fist, the card was always gone. I found it in my pocket afterwards, completely flat, not one hint of a crease.

"When it was time to go home, I'd get so tired that I would fall asleep right there on the boat. Dad always carried me on his back all the way from the docks to our house. "

"What does this have to do with the ocean?" Annabeth whispered hoarsely.

"That was when I was younger. When I had just turned eleven, my dad got called overseas. That same year, the government told us that he was missing. His ship had practically fallen off the face of the Earth. His crew, his ship... And him. They were all gone. People said that the most likely thing that had happened were they all drowned. Everyone said just to accept that he was gone.

"I won't, though. I won't accept that he's gone, not ever. He's still alive somewhere, Annabeth. I can feel it."

He finally forced himself to look over at her. A single tear was tracing it's way down her cheek. "I hate the ocean," Percy whispered. "Because it stole my father from me. But I love it... Because you reminded me how amazing it can be."

Annabeth didn't say a word. She just gently laced her fingers into Percy's. He couldn't help thinking how soft her hand was. And together, they sat on the beach watching the sunset, both lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

**I know, I know, it's been forever, and you guys deserve a better chapter than that for the wait, but truthfully, I'm just a person who rushes her writing. _Shikata ga nai_. (If you know what that means, tell me, and I will put your name in the next chapter because it's an awesome phrase:D)**

**Today's theme song is for Percy and Annabeth:**

**If I Lose Myself by OneRepublic**

**Special thanks to **Mystica Tempest **for the theme song! (You give the best suggestions, **Mysti**;) )**

**Review!**

**Oh, and sorry for my little rant at the top there.**

**-Rebel**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 14**

"Rachael, I'm serious!" said Percy exasperatedly. The trip to Gray Harbor had ended all too soon. Now they were back at the Jackson/Blofis residence, and it was all Percy could do to keep from yelling at his girlfriend over the phone. "I couldn't come back even if I wanted to. I thought I explained that!"

"So you don't want to come back?" Rachael cried. "What's got you so entranced there that you couldn't possibly leave?"

_Annabeth, _Percy thought silently, but he wouldn't dare say that to Rachael. He settled with "It's not so bad here, Rach."

"So, how about I come visit you, then?" suggusted Rachael. "You can't come to me, I'll come to you."

"That is a very bad idea," said Percy quickly.

"How so?" said Rachael.

"It's just..." He tried to think of an excuse. "Plane tickets are so expensive!"

"You know money's not a problem for me," she pointed out. Percy ran his hand through his hair. Right, he had forgotten about the whole "My-dad-is-the-owner-of-a-corperate-enterprise-so-he-will-sue-your-family-if-you-hurt-me" deal.

"Well, you would miss cheerleading camp," said Percy helpfully. Rachael was silent for a moment. Percy sat down on his bed, crossing his fingers. _Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it._

"I guess you're right," she said slowly. _Yes!_ "But what about us, Percy? What are we gonna do?"

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

"I mean... Look, maybe this isn't going to work out. You and me as a couple. You're just too far away."

Percy nodded. "I completely agree."

"What?!" Rachael's voice was so sharp he had to pull the phone away from his ear. "You sound almost happy! Why? Am I that horrible of a girlfriend?"

_Yes, you are! _"No, of course not!" protested Percy. "This is me trying to get over you."

Rachael seemed not to hear. "Well then, this is me breaking up with you." She seemed almost ready to hang up, and then decided to add one last thing for good measure. "It doesn't even matter anyways, because Thomas asked me out yesterday, and I said yes."

The phone line went dead and Percy was staring at it, dumbfounded. Thomas? One of his closest friends from swim team? Rachael couldn't have. She wouldn't have.

Percy chucked his phone against the wall. To be fair, he had interest in another girl. Sure, they had held hands. And maybe they had gotten pretty close to kissing, too. But he hadn't actually tried anything, _because_ of Rachael!

She could have at least broken up with him first. He would've understood. He knew what it was like to have feelings for someone outside of your current relationship.

Percy ran his hands through his hair and groaned, plopping himself down on his bed. He glanced up at the mahogany frame that held the picture of his father. "What would you do if you were me?" he asked dully.

Then, Percy's eye noticed something. In the picture, his dad was wearing his uniform. On the right chest of the uniform, a small emblem was embroidered in the navy blue cloth. It was a circle with a gold and red swirl pattern in it. He sat bolt upright and pulled the picture closer. He wasn't sure how he hadn't realized it until now, but he we was definitely sure of it: the pattern on his father's uniform was the same one on Annabeth's locket.

* * *

**I know, my chapters are getting shorter and shorter as time goes on... Sorry about that. But I'm starting to get annoyed, because despite the extensive A/N's that state "I _know_ Annabeth's eyes are gray, but I made them blue for a reason," people are still pointing out my "mistake".**

**Today's theme song is for Jason and Reyna!**

**In Memory by Shinedown**

**Special thanks to **RebelGirl13 **for this theme song... Hey. Hey, wait a minute... (If you love Shinedown as much as I do, review and let me know!:D) Also, if you have any suggestions for theme songs, let me know!**

**Just so you know: **Alexandra Jackson Rocks Hades, 6l4v4a, PPP4eva, TheSandWillPrevail, **and **XxbethamphetaminexX **k****new what Shikata Ga Nai means... It is Japanese for "It can't be helped."**

**Oh, God. I'm turning into one of those authors who A/N is longer than the actual story... *shudder***

**-Rebel**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 15**

Annabeth sighed as she traced the pattern on her locket with her finger for the millionth time. She was trying to memorize everything about it, every swirl, every scratch, every turn. She didn't even flinch as another clap of thunder rang throughout the mansion. Storms didn't bother her now as much as they used to, but they still brought back memories that she'd rather forget. "Annabeth!" She heard a tap on her window.

She lifted the window to reveal Percy standing there in the pouring rain, shivering. "What are you doing? Come on, get inside!" she instructed, helping him climb through the window.

"Annabeth," he gasped, out of breath. "I have... to show you something."

He took off his jacket and revealed a bundle that was wrapped in cloth from underneath it. "Now," he said, shaking the water droplets from his hair. "You have to promise not to freak out."

"I can't promise anything when you're talking like that," she said unsurely.

Percy sighed. "Alright. Just… give me your locket."

Annabeth stiffened, but didn't hesitate to remove the locket from her neck and hand it over. _If there's anyone I can trust, it's Percy, _she reminded herself. Slowly, he began to unwrap the bundle and pulled out a picture frame. Then he turned it to face Annabeth.

"You see that?" he said. "That's my dad." He held up the necklace so that the locket dangled right next to the picture frame.

"What does-" Annabeth stopped short. She looked from the picture to her necklace, them back to the picture. "Your… your dad's uniform!" she gasped.

"The patch and the locket are exactly the same," confirmed Percy.

"But… I didn't think that was the Navy seal!" protested Annabeth.

"It's not."

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I looked it up online, and this is not even close to the Navy seal," said Percy.

"So what is it?" questioned Annabeth.

"That's the thing," started Percy. "I scanned the photo into the computer and cropped it to the patch, but there's nothing on the internet that matched it."

Annabeth's eyes widened. "Nothing?"

Percy shook his head. "Nope. But I..." He ducked his head.

"What?" she said

"I kind of went into my mom's office. She has boxes of papers and files that used to be Dad's. I was able to find the name of this guy... Zeus. He was one of my dad's old comrades. He lives in New York now. I think we should go talk to him."

Annabeth blinked. "Go to New York?"

Percy ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah. I mean, you don't have to come. I just thought you'd want to figure out your connection with all of this. Why your necklace is the same as my dad's uniform. Zeus... I think he would know."

Annabeth took a deep breath and nodded. "I do. Of course I do. I've never been to New York before, so it should be interesting. But what are you going to tell your mom? You can't exactly go up to her and declare that you're going to New York to find out where your dad really worked."

Percy grinned. "Well, that was my idea. I'll just tell her I'm going to New York to visit Rachael."

Annabeth stiffened slightly. "Ah. Your... girlfriend."

Percy snorted. "Ex-girlfriend."

Annabeth had to restrain herself from breaking out into a grin. "Oh, well... I'm sorry."

Percy laughed. "I'm not. Don't worry about it."

"But where's the logic in telling your mother that you're going to New York to visit your ex?" said Annabeth.

"As far as Mom is concerned, Rachael and I are making the long-distance relationship work," pointed out Percy. "But I was thinking... She wouldn't buy _you_ wanting to go visit my girlfriend, so..."

Annabeth's eyes lit up. "The library! That's my excuse. I've always wanted to see the library in New York City! It has some of the oldest architecture in the whole state!"

Percy nodded. "Yeah, and maybe while we're there, we can look for stuff about my dad."

Annabeth smiled. "When do we leave?"

"Three days. I'll get Paul to drive us to the bus station in Millton early that morning. We'll just take a bus down to New York. I'll find out exactly where Zeus is living." He moved to open the window and began climbing out. Just before he ran away, he turned to her.

"Annabeth, you've gotta promise me that if you're coming, you'll be careful."

Annabeth nodded. "I've been careful my entire life. I'm not going to stop now."

He grinned, then turned and sprinted back to his own house through the rain. Annabeth watched him the whole time, and she couldn't help thinking how glad she was that he no longer had a girlfriend.

* * *

**The next chapter will be longer, I swear.**

**Today's theme song is for all of the demigods and the world they live in!**

**Life in Technicolor II by Coldplay**

**Special thanks to **Mystica Tempest **for this theme song!**

**Thanks for all your reviews and stuff. This story has over twelve thousand hits... I'm freaking out. :D**

**-Rebel**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 16**

"Come on! We're gonna miss the bus!" said Annabeth, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"I'm not a morning person," grumbled Percy as he lumbered down the front steps. Annabeth tried to hold back her laughter at his unruly hair.

"I can tell," she teased. "But this was your idea."

Paul stepped out of the house behind him into the dawn light. "Let's go," he said groggily.

"Thanks for driving us, Paul!" Annabeth said cheerily.

Percy and Paul both turned to stare at her, giving her an unveiled look of annoyance. She shrugged. "I _am_ a morning person!"

And they set off to the closest bus station, which happened to be twenty minutes away in a town called Millton. The drive there was extremely awkward. Annabeth sat quietly in the backseat of the Chevy, wishing someone would say something to fill the silence. It was kind of creepy that she was sitting on the spot where she was born, but also a bit comforting, in some strange way.

When they finally got to the bus station, Paul dropped them in front of it and drove off without a word. "Not being a morning person runs in the family," commented Annabeth mildly.

Percy grinned. "Oh, definitely." He was starting to wake up.

The 6:00 A.M. bus arrived shortly after they did, and there where only about ten other people who got on it. "I'll tell you one thing," Annabeth whispered to Percy. "This is nothing compared to Chicago."

Percy nodded. "I'll bet."

The bus left five minutes late, which irritated Annabeth immensely. She wanted to get to New York City now. She wanted to find out what it all meant; the locket, the uniform, her and Percy's connection. What could that symbol be?

Of course, they would have to switch buses once they got to Boston. No bus would run from Milton all the way to NYC.

The bus ride turned out to be even more awkward than the car ride had been. Everyone kept to themselves, and the only noises were a baby's hungry cries and some teenager's blaring music.

Annabeth shifted uncomfortably and glanced over at Percy. He was fumbling with a pair of white headphones. "Here," he said quietly. He put one of them in her ear, and the other in his.

Annabeth listened for a minute, but no sound came out of the headphones. "Hey," she said, nudging him. "I don't know if you noticed, but you forgot to press play."

Percy smiled and looked down, holding up the end of the headphones that had the jack. Nothing was attached to it. "It's a trick I learned from my dad," he explained. "Saves you from awkward situations. Pretend you're listening to music, and no one bothers you."

"Or," said Annabeth. "You could actually listen to music."

She took Percy's iPod out of his hands and scrolled down the list. "Anybody by Jesse McCartney". _No thank you,_ she thought, quickly scrolling to the next option. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day". _Not in the mood_. And then she saw...

"'All Cried Out' by Lisa-Lisa and Cult Jam?" she questioned, turning to Percy.

A furious blush spread up on his cheeks. "I share an Apple account with my mom," he muttered, grabbing the iPod back from her and plugging the headphones in. "Here," he said. "You'll like this one."

A piano riff intro sounded over the speaker in Annabeth's ear, and she leaned back against the uncomfortable leather seat, closed her eyes, and listened.

A man's gravely yet smooth voice rang into the music.

_If I could find assurance_

_To leave you behind_

_I know my better half would fade_

_And all my doubt_

_Is a staircase for you_

_Opened out of this space_

_The first step is the one you believe in_

_The second one might be profound_

Annabeth was startled at the truth in these words. She turned to look at Percy, but he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

_I'll follow you down_

_Through the eye of the storm_

_Don't worry, I'll keep you warm_

_I'll follow you down_

_As we're passing through space_

_I don't care if we fall from grace_

_I'll follow you down_

Annabeth barely noticed it at first, but she suddenly became fully aware of Percy tentatively reaching his hand towards hers. She smiled to herself and took his hand, pretending it was no big deal. Which, of course, it was.

_You can have the money and the world_

_The angels and the pearls_

_Even trade mark the color blue_

_Just like the tower we never built_

_In the shadow of all the guilt_

_When the other hand was pointing at you_

_The first step is the one you believe in_

_The second one might be profound_

Annabeth was worried her palm might sweat a bit, so she fixed her complete focus on the song, and it's sweet yet powerful emotion.

_I'll follow you down_

_Through the eye of the storm_

_Don't worry, I'll keep you warm_

_I'll follow you down_

_As we're passing through space_

_I don't care if we fall from grace_

_I'll follow you down_

_I'll follow you down to where forever lies_

_Without a doubt I'm on your side_

_There's nowhere else that I would rather be_

_I'm not about to compromise_

_Give you up, to say goodbye_

_I've got you through the deep_

_I'll keep you close to me_

During the driving guitar solo, Annabeth couldn't help but feel like this person was talking to her. Her entire life, she had craved something constant, someone who would be there for her and would always stay by her side. This song seemed to remind her of that.

_I'll follow you down_

_Through the eye of the storm_

_Don't worry, I'll keep you warm_

_I'll follow you down_

_As we're passing through space_

_I don't care if we fall from grace_

_I'll follow you_

_If I could find assurance_

_To leave you behind_

_I know my better half would fade_

_I'll follow you down_

The song ended on a major chord, and Annabeth was slightly disappointed. She turned to Percy. "What song was that?" she asked.

"'I'll Follow You' by Shinedown," he said.

Annabeth smiled. _I'll remember_, she promised silently.

And so, the bus kept driving as they listened to music. Within an hour and a half, they were in Boston.

While they were waiting for the 8:00 bus to New York, Annabeth dragged Percy into the square. Some of the shops were still closed, but most of the stores and kiosks were open, with employes setting up displays and arranging their merchandise. A few people strolled around, but the square was somewhat vacant.

"Oh, look at these!" Annabeth pulled a pair of black sunglasses off of a kiosk. They had silver spikes all the way up the side. "What do you think?" she said, putting them on and posing. "Do I look like a rebel?"

Percy laughed. "You look _goth_. Here, try these."

He took a pair of bright purple sunglasses that practically covered Annabeth's entire face and put them on her. He put his hand up to his chin as if he were surveying her. "Very inconspicuous," he said.

Annabeth laughed and put the sunglasses back. The teenage girl at the register seemed pretty ticked off that they didn't buy anything, but Annabeth hadn't brought extra money.

Percy's stomach suddenly made a loud groaning sound. He clutched it and blushed. "I slept in too late for breakfast," he admitted.

"Well, come on!" said Annabeth, taking his arm. "If you give me your wallet, I'll get you something to eat!"

Percy rolled his eyes, pretending to look annoyed, but Annabeth knew he wasn't.

Once they had stopped by a bagel shop and gotten some delicious corn muffins and the crappiest coffee Annabeth had ever tasted, they headed back to the bud station. The bus to New York was just pulling in.

Annabeth took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She felt Percy's fingers intertwine with hers. "Hey," he said. "We'll be okay. In fact, I'm pretty sure New York won't even know what hit it!"

Annabeth opened her eyes and nodded, looking straight ahead. "New York, here we come."

* * *

**Don't you think the song I used described Percabeth?! Because... Percy followed Annabeth down to where forever lies! Literally! Get it? Do you? Do... Ah, never mind.**

**I had a list of theme songs, guys, and it got deleted... But I'm trying to salvage it. Today's theme song is for the whole Percy Jackson series! *gasp***

**Some Nights by Fun.**

**Special thanks to **wise-waters** for this theme song! (Ugh. I hate the fact that their band name has a period in it. It's a TITLE, people. There's no ending punctuation! I know, I know, it was because some Swedish band already trademarked the name "Fun", but they could have at least come up with another name!)**

**I know, I know! I stole the headphone thing from Dream High! But it was just so good! (Why, Jin-Gook?! Why?!)**

**Ah! I have almost 200 reviews! I feel like a celebrity!:) Y'all are the best!**

**-Rebel**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 17**

Annabeth stared in a stunned silence. Right in front of her was the New York City Public Library; the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on the corner of 5th Avenue and 42nd Street. It was huge, and the architecture was incredible. She was entranced by it's beauty. "Come on!" said Percy. "We can't spend too long here."

"But it's so magical!" said Annabeth, walking up the marble steps.

Once inside, Annabeth and Percy wound up staying there for two hours. Every time Percy said "Alright, we have to go now," Annabeth would find something that distracted her. Percy was getting impatient, and she could tell.

"Hold on. Just one more thing," she begged. "Let's look through the public political document section to see if we can find anything about your dad."

"What if there's nothing? I get the feeling anything involving my dad would be confidential," he pointed out.

Annabeth shrugged. "There's no harm in looking."

All of a sudden, Percy stiffened. "Do you... do you think my mom knows?"

Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows. She wasn't willing to admit that she had considered this option, but had been to apprehensive to voice it. "What do you mean?" she said.

"I mean, what if my dad told my mom that he wasn't actually in the Navy? What if she knows that the government lied to us? What if he's not actually dead?" Percy's voice was steadily rising, so Annabeth put a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"Those are all really big 'What If's," she pointed out.

Percy set his jaw and didn't say anything as they continued walking towards the political documents. But what if he's right? Annabeth thought.

Percy sat down at a computer while Annabeth began to search through the "J" files. There were files of murder cases, robberies, and even just some stupid lawsuits. None of the records held anything confidential, but what would one expect from a public library?

Just as she was sure she saw a file labeled "Jackson", Annabeth knocked over another box of papers. The cover read "Jacobson". Annabeth blushed, hoping no one in the library had seen her clumsiness. She knelt down to pick up the papers and couldn't help but look at the title.

_The Carly Jacobson Case_

_Date Charges Pressed: May 16, 1907_

_Location: Summerville, New Hampshire_

That really caught Annabeth's attention. She hardly noticed Percy calling her name as she began to read about the trial. She skimmed through the articles so fast she had to read them a second time, and when she did, she was shocked at what she found.

_Andrew Jacobson, age 19, accused of stabbing his biological sister, Carly Jacobson, age 15, to death on the night of January 8, 1907 in their summer mansion in Summerville, New Hampshire..._

_Tara Rodrigez, age 18, who was dating Andrew Jacobson at the time of the murder, is accused of second-hand murder, as she was jealous of Carly's "looks" and convinced Andrew to commit the murder. She allegedly promised Andrew explicit sexual acts, were he to kill his sister..._

_Carly had been living with multiple foster families before her brother became her legal guardian after turning eighteen. The entire town thought she was a secluded loner, or a "freak"..._

_The jury has declared the defedant guilty of first-hand murder..._

_Case closed on November 21, 1907..._

Annabeth wanted to throw up. This guy had murdered his little sister because his girlfriend was jealous of her. How could one person be so incredibly twisted?

But the story seemed to make sense. Everyone had said that the "Ghost Girl of Violet Hill" was murdered around a hundred years ago. She had been stabbed to death by her brother. And, according to the citizens of Summerville, her spirit remained in the mansion.

She blinked a few times to get rid of the tears that had been stinging her eyes when Percy walked up to her. "Did you find anything?" he said. All Annabeth could do was shake her head that no, she hadn't. "Hey. What's wrong?" he said, crouching down next to her.

She sniffed. "I... Those stories about the ghost girl. There _was_ a murder at the mansion."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Huh. That's weird."

"But what if... What if the villagers are right?" said Annabeth.

Percy gave a small laugh, but his eyes were confused. "Don't tell me you're starting to believe in the ghost," he said uneasily.

"I don't know. I mean, I've never noticed anything, and I live there, but..." Annabeth lowered her voice as someone walked by them. "I'm just saying, what if she is real?"

"It's a pretty big 'What If'," teased Percy. Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Look," he said. "I wouldn't worry about it. I mean, the stories are completely sick and twisted, that's true, but wouldn't you have noticed if you were living with a ghost?"

"I guess you're right..." said Annabeth, standing up.

"Now," said Percy, holding out a piece of paper. "I printed out directions to the place where Zeus is supposed to be living."

"Supposed to be?" said Annabeth.

Percy winced. "Well, the address was in my mom's files. I'm not quite positive that it's up to date, but it's worth a shot."

Annabeth nodded, though she couldn't stop thinking about that girl who was just like her who had been murdered by someone she had trusted. "To Zeus it is, then."

Just as they walked out of the huge building, Percy froze. Annabeth followed his gaze to a boy who seemed to be their age, but was on crutches. "Grover?" cried Percy.

* * *

**I'm not even going to pretend there's an updating schedule for this anymore. I am so sorry.**

**Today's theme song is for Percy and Annabeth-**

**Call Me by Shinedown**

**Special thanks to **annabethpercy4eva3 (guest) **for this theme song!**

**Review!**

**-Rebel**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 18**

"Percy?" Grover's startled voice rang out into the air. Percy grinned and walked towards him. "Hey, what are you doing in New York? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" said Grover excitedly, pulling him into a hug.

"I totally forgot, man," said Percy, running a hand through his hair.

"And this must be Annabeth," said Grover, looking behind Percy. "I've sure heard a lot about you, girl-"

"No, he hasn't," Percy cut in sharply, trying to hide the blush that was rising to his cheeks.

"Nice to meet you... Grover?" said Annabeth.

"That's right! So, what are you guys doing here? And Perce, if I were you, I would walk in the other direction if I saw Thomas," added Grover.

"Because Rachael's with him?" guessed Percy.

"Yeah, and that would be awkward, you know, with the new girl, and everything," said Grover cheerfully.

Percy knew that Grover was aware of the fact that he and Annabeth were not a couple, but that did not stop a flush from spreading across his cheeks. "Oh, hey!" said Percy, opening up the map in his hand. "Grover, you knew your way around New York better than I did when we lived here. Have you got any idea where-" He glanced down at the paper, "-Oakland Street is?"

Grover whistled. "That's up near 5th Avenue, where all those rich fools live. I'm just sayin', would it kill them to give to the needy once in a while?"

Percy laughed. "You're not needy, Grover."

"But can you take us there?" said Annabeth anxiously.

"Yeah, sure." Grover shrugged, and started walking down the sidewalk. "Who are you in such a hurry to meet, anyways?"

"An old friend of my dad's, actually," said Percy, hunching his shoulders to show that he didn't really want to talk about it.

"Oh." Grover seemed to get it, but what he understood in guy body language, he totally lacked in girl language. "So, Annabeth!" he said. "Where are you from?"

"Oh, here and there..." said Annabeth awkwardly. Percy winced. He had told Grover about Annabeth, but not about her living situation, or her past. That had seemed like something too personal to say over the phone.

"You ever been to New York before?" said Grover.

Annabeth shook her head. "No, but it reminds me a lot of Chicago."

Grover burst out laughing, a cheerful glint in his eye. Percy noticed that Grover had become more confident in talking to girls than when he last saw him, almost as if he had blossomed in Percy's absence. He felt a tiny pang of sadness at the thought, but he knew the truth; Grover's girlfriend, Juniper, had force him to hang out with her friends a lot, so talking to girls (even stunningly beautiful girls like Annabeth) wasn't so uncomfortable for him anymore.

"You know the major difference between NYC and Chicago?" said Grover, coming up to a halt.

"Well, the smells are different," said Annabeth, though she was smiling.

"Uh-uh," said Grover. He pointed one of his crutches towards a sign on the side of the building. "It's the pizza."

Percy turned and realized suddenly where he was. "Circe's Pizza," he gasped. "No way." He turned to Annabeth, doing his best to make puppy dog eyes. "We went into the library," he said. "Can we please go into Circe's just to get a quick bite? It'll be the best pizza you've ever tasted, I swear."

Circe's was where everyone liked to hang out. It's strange yet popular 1950's look made Percy feel like he was stepping back in time. He and his friends had always gone there before he left. He and his Mom and Dad...

Annabeth frowned. "Percy, we have to take the 8:00 bus from the station. If we stop here, that doesn't leave us much time with Zeus."

"Please?" Percy whined.

Annabeth glared for a minute, but Percy knew she couldn't hold out. She rolled her eyes, and said "Fine. But only half an hour. Then we're leaving."

They stepped into the restaurant and Percy could see Annabeth's face light up out of the corner of his eye. "What did I tell you?" he teased. She just grinned.

Grover walked in behind them and clasped a hand on Percy's shoulder. "Welcome back to New York, Perce," he said. "And the T.A.R.D.I.S.!"

Percy turned around to see an old electric blue Police Call Box on the wall that was actually a photo booth. He laughed. Grover had been harboring a secret obsession with the thing (and Doctor Who) since the seventh grade.

They sat down and ordered three slices of pizza. The more Percy saw and heard and tasted and felt of New York, the more he realized how much he missed it. But also, every time he looked over at Annabeth or heard her laugh, he was sure that it was worth it.

An hour later, they were stepping out of Circe's New York Style Pizza House. Annabeth wouldn't have admitted it, but Percy knew she had loved it. "So, Oakland Street," said Percy.

Grover nodded. "Right this way, my pupils."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow when Grover turned his back to them. "'My pupils?' she whispered to Percy.

He shrugged. "Don't question the G-Man," he whispered back.

They walked for a couple of blocks down the road. Percy did not miss the grimace of pain Annabeth had on her face when she stopped to adjust her shoe, but she pretended it didn't bother her, and he didn't want to push it.

"Okay," said Grover, lowering his voice. "We can get to Oakland way faster if we take this shortcut."

"What shortcut?" said Percy suspiciously. Grover was notorious throughout Manhattan for his "shortcuts".

"Um... Blackjack Alley?" offered Grover tentatively.

Percy blanched. "No way! I'd rather walk back to New Hampshire!"

"What's Blackjack Alley?" said Annabeth, who seemed rather amused at Percy's reluctance.

"It's like a ghetto neighborhood," he explained. "People who are passing it can always here gunshots firing. There's always reports on the news about murders and knife fights that go on in there... and there's Medusa."

Annabeth knit her eyebrows together. "The Greek myth?"

Percy shook his head, but it was Grover who answered. "They're a gang. Everyone make up stories about how they're drug addicts and terrorists, but they're not really that bad," he said, trying to convince them.

"Are you kidding me?" said Percy. "Grover, you and I have both met Snake. They really _are_ that bad."

"Snake?" inquired Annabeth.

"Gang leader," Percy replied grimly.

"And when did you meet this guy?" said Annabeth skeptically.

"When we were twelve, we took a dare to go into Blackjack Alley," explained Percy. "It was the worst experience of my life."

"But we wouldn't get to Oakland by tomorrow unless one of you has got cab fare," pointed out Grover.

Percy and Annabeth glanced at each other. Neither one of them had thought to bring extra money. They only had the ten dollar bill Paul had given them in case of an emergency, and that definitely would pay for a cab.

"Alright," agreed Annabeth. "We'll go through."

"Annabeth!" protested Percy, but he was already following Grover down the street. He sighed. He couldn't let her go in there with a handicapped sixteen-year-old for protection, so he followed.

Percy pushed himself in front of Annabeth as they edged into a darkened alleyway. She retaliated by pushing herself back in front of him. "I'm not helpless," she muttered through clenched teeth. He held his breath as they entered Blackjack Alley. It was dark, damp, and there was a strong scent of what suspiciously smelled like vodka.

"Alright," murmured Grover. "Keep your head down and keep close to me. Come on!" He led them in between the bricks and the cement, crouching in the shadows, trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible. They made their way into a clearing that looked like it had the makings of a marketplace. Woman in old rags sold food and clothes on the side, and the men traded things with each other behind their leather jackets.

Percy didn't understand how Annabeth seemed to be fascinated with all of this. She kept falling behind while studying the items for sale. A few hungry-looking children scuttled in front of him and he had to lean against the brick wall on the side of the alley so that he wouldn't trip on them. He saw that their faces were gaunt and thin, their eyes haunted and tired. When he looked back up for Annabeth, though, she was out of his sight.

A surge of panic shot through him. "Annabeth!" he hissed under his breath, his eyes searching frantically through the throng of people for clean blonde curls and startling blue eyes. "Annabeth, where are you?"

"Hey!" Percy turned around just in time to see a boy who looked to be in his early twenties grab Annabeth by the wrist. He began to run towards her, but before he could get there, Annabeth did something very unexpected. She twisted the hand that they man was gripping around so that she was holding on to his wrist, folded his arm behind his back, and kneed him in the soft spot. The man groaned and lurched over, but Annabeth was ready. Her other knee connected with the man's nose, shooting his face back up. As he keeled over backwards, Annabeth brought her elbow crashing down onto the back of his head. He lay on the damp cement ground, groaning in pain. "Crazy bitch," Percy could have sworn he heard him say.

Annabeth leaned down over him. "And don't you forget it," she hissed.

She walked back over to Percy. "Ready to go?" she said, placing her hand on her hips. Percy stared at her. It seemed like the entire marketplace was watching them.

"Um... yeah," he said, grabbing her hand and leading her out of the marketplace. Grover was waiting for them at the edge of it.

"Where have you guys been?" he said. "I had started to get worried."

"No need to be worried," muttered Percy. He turned to Annabeth. "Where did you learn how to do that?"

She shrugged. "You don't go through as many foster homes as I did without learning a trick or two."

She walked further down the alley. Grover shot Percy a confused look. "What happened?" he questioned.

"Don't ask," said Percy, still in shock. He didn't know that Annabeth could be so downright aggressive.

They trekked in silence down the alley until they came upon a hole in the side of the brick wall. "Straight through here," said Grover. They climbed through it, carefully avoiding the bits of broken brick and glass littered throughout the place.

Percy heard a murmur of voices somewhere inside the dark building. A sudden, terrified scream echoed through the place. Percy stiffened and felt Annabeth do the same next to him. Someone was being hurt. They had to help him.

Slowly, they crept through the building. Percy instinctively put himself between the screams and Annabeth. This time, she didn't seem to mind so much. He peered around the corner, where the sounds seemed to be coming from. A sickening sight greeted him.

A bulky, heavily-muscled man leaned over a teenaged boy who couldn't be older than Percy. "I'm going to ask you one more time, kid," growled the man. "Where's your old man?"

The boy gasped with pain as the man stepped on his hand. "I already told you," he managed. "My dad left me. I don't know where he is!" A memory hit Percy like a tidal wave.

_"He left us!" Percy yelled in a rage. "We don't even know where he is!"_

_"Please, Percy," begged his mother, who was crying. "It isn't his fault."_

Percy blinked the flashback out of his eyes. The moment it ended, he knew he had to help this boy.

So the he did the most impulsive, ADHD thing he had ever done. Even though he had no weapon, no self-defense training, and his back-up was a fifteen-year-old girl and a sixteen-year-old cripple, he jumped out from behind the corner. "Hey!" he shouted, steeling his eyes and clenching his fist. "Get away from him."

The big man's eyes lit with recognition. Percy was surprised he had remembered him, as they had met when Percy was only twelve. The man standing in front of him, and the guys surrounding him with their arms crossed, where a familiar sight for Percy. It was Snake and his gang, Medusa.

* * *

**I know, it's been a while, but I'm traveling, and wifi is scarce:)**

**I also just saw the trailer for the SoM, and let me just say- Who else is totally phsyced about this? The new director is totally fixing things! I mean, it can never truly be completely repaired, but it's sooooo much better!**

**Today's theme song is for Percy and Annabeth!**

**Without the Bitter by Mayday Paradise**

**Special thanks to **Strawtucker** for this theme song! Got any ideas? Let me know!**

**Thanks for the reviews:) They make me happy.**

**-Rebel**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 19**

Annabeth tried to hold back a cry. What was Percy thinking? What the hell was he doing? She and Grover stayed cowering behind the wall, watching in horror as Percy walked towards the big man. "Medusa," mouthed Grover, not daring to actually speak.

"Ah," said the man, who was obviously Snake. "I remember you. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Leave him alone," Percy repeated firmly, his fists clenched tightly.

"I don't think it's any of your business, little man," said Snake smoothly.

Annabeth couldn't see Percy's face, but she saw him tense, and she could tell that wasn't the first time Snake had called him that.

"What's he done to you?" argued Percy.

_Leave,_ Annabeth wanted to scream. _Leave, Percy._ But she couldn't help feeling sorry for the boy on the floor, and she knew why Percy was doing this.

"His father owes me quite a bit of money, little man," said Snake idly, as if he hadn't just been beating a kid senseless. "A bit of money that I would like to have."

"That's got nothing to do with him," growled Percy.

"Or with you," said Snake. "So I suggest you get your sorry ass out of here."

"What makes my ass sorry?" retorted Percy.

Annabeth wanted to smack him. _Ever heard the word "provoked"?_ she thought angrily.

"You're gonna be real sorry if you don't get the hell out," said Snake, who was starting to go red in the face.

In the distraction, the boy on the floor had shuffled to the edge of the room. Annabeth studied him. He had dark skin with chocolate brown eyes, and a fuzz of black hair on his head. His face was bleeding, and he seemed to be clutching his ribs.

Annabeth knew she had to help Percy. There was no way he could take on a gang on his own. One glance at Grover, and she knew he was thinking the same thing. They both stepped out from behind the wall, and Annabeth put her hands on her hips.

"Are you sure it won't be you who's sorry?" she said.

Snake let out a low, gravely laugh. "So this is what you brought for back up? These two?"

Grover's jaw clenched. A thick silence hung over them. No one dared to move.

A sudden pandemonium broke out in the room. Grover and Percy idiotically flung themselves at the men standing behind Snake. In the confusion, Annabeth slunk over to the boy on the floor. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something to her, but flinched in pain.

"It's okay," she murmured. He seemed to be older than Annabeth, and maybe even Percy, but she wan't sure. She slipped off her blue sweatshirt and tried to decide where to apply it. The boy's arm was bent at an odd angle, but he was clutching at his ribs. A thin tickle of blood ran out of his mouth. Annabeth used the sleeve of her sweater to wipe off the blood and proceeded to craft a makeshift sling around his arm.

The boy opened his mouth again. His eyes were urgent, if not bloodshot, as if he was trying to warn her of something. "What is it?" she whispered frantically.

The boy pointed at Snake, who was currently trying to drag Percy off of the back of one of his men. "He..." rasped the boy. "He's got...

"What? What does he have?" said Annabeth, who was nearly pleading.

If the boy managed an answer, Annabeth didn't hear it. A large bang echoed through the room. _A gun. He's got a gun._ She spun around, her throat drier than the Sahara. Relief swelled over her when she saw that both Grover and Percy were standing upright, anger flaming in their eyes. Both of them rushed over to Annabeth in the chaos that the gunshot had wrought.

Percy and Annabeth lifted the boy to his feet and supported him. "Go! That way!" hissed Grover, pointing his crutch towards an opening in the wall. They all hurried towards it, but another gunshot that was practically fired next to them shattered the room. It hadn't hit anyone. Annabeth subconsciously registered the fact that Percy was reaching across the boy's back and grasping her shoulder, but there was no time to dwell on it.

The escaped out the hole and ran as best as they could while carrying a body. "We'll... we'll never outrun them!" panted Annabeth.

Grover's eyes lit up. "In here!" he flung open a door that was located on the side of the alley, right next to the corner. Annabeth wanted to point out that the door would be much too obvious, but she was too exhausted to argue. She and Percy dragged the boy in there behind Grover, who slammed the door shut.

It was an empty warehouse with a single broken LED lightbulb in the middle of the room. They huddled in the darkness, not daring to breathe, as the echoing sound of footsteps clattered down the alley, then faded. Annabeth released her breath.

Grover let out a low whistle. "Talk about the Storm Trooper effect."

"I thought that only happened in movies?" said Percy, who ran a hand through his sweaty hair.

Annabeth turned her attention to the boy, who was now on the floor, his eyes half-closed.

"We've got to get you to a hospital," she murmured, eyeing the cut above his eye.

The boy opened his eyes and attempted to smile, but it turned out more like a grimace. "Nah," he wheezed, trying to sound nonchalant. "I've handled way worse than this."

"Doesn't matter," said Annabeth matter-of-factly. "You've still got to go to a hospital. Your elbow is broken. The infection in that cut is only going to get worse, and I think you've got a skeletal abrasion just there." She pointed to the rib he was clutching,

The boy stared at her. "You really know your stuff." He blinked, and tried to push himself up into a sitting position. "Thanks," he said, addressing Percy. "I would've been dead meat back there without." He held out a hand. "Name's Charles Beckendorf, but everyone just calls me Beckendorf."

Percy shook his hand. "Percy Jackson. This is Grover Underwood, and Annabeth."

Beckendorf raised an eyebrow. "Just Annabeth?"

She shifted uncomfortably. She knew her birth surname, of course, but she had never disclosed it to Percy. What was the need? "Just Annabeth," she confirmed.

Beckendorf started to stand up, but Annabeth sprang up and yelped. "What do you think you're doing? You're hurt!"

"I've gotta get going," admitted Beckendorf. "But thanks, again. All of you."

"But... you're hurt!" Annabeth repeated stupidly.

Beckendorf grinned. "Welcome to New York. Look, how about this: I'm not going to a hospital, but I'll go straight home. My girlfriend, Silena, is a wiz at first aid. She'll fix me up."

Annabeth swallowed. "Promise?"

"Promise," said Beckendorf.

She nodded miserably. "Alright. You're free to go."

Beckendorf left quietly, and Annabeth found herself hoping that he wasn't lying about his girlfriend.

The threesome stumbled wearily out of the warehouse, keeping a sharp eye out for Medusa. After a while, it had become very clear that they had left Blackjack Alley.

"Well," Grover said faintly. "Welcome to Oakland Street."

All down the street, lavish homes lined the sidewalk. They were large, finely decorated, and expensively furbished. Annabeth glanced at her watch. "It's 4:30," she said shakily. "Which one is Zeus's?"

It was obvious that nobody wanted to talk about their near death experience or Beckendorf, but Annabeth still couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone horribly wrong in there. Percy seemed to notice, but he didn't comment on it.

When they got to the front gate of Zeus's house, Percy turned to Grover. "Thanks, man," he said. "We can find it from here."

"Percy," croaked Grover. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"Hey," said Percy. "It's all good. We're out of there, now. No harm done." He clapped a hand on Grover's back. Grover was still trembling.

"You sure?" he said.

Annabeth smiled. "Grover, it's fine. Honestly. I'm actually glad I got to see that part of New York. It makes me feel like I've got it good."

Grover managed a feeble grin. "Alright," he said. "I'll leave you to it."

Grover hobbled off, giving the entrance to Blackjack Alley a wide berth.

Percy put his hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "You okay?" he asked.

Annabeth nodded and took a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just... What about Beckendorf?"

Percy's eyes clouded. "He'll be fine."

Annabeth didn't question him as he pushed open the gate and strolled up to the door, rapping it sharply. A middle-aged woman opened the door. She was wearing a strange navy blue uniform that looked suspiciously like a janitor's suite. She brandished a mop like it was a sword. Her graying hair was pulled back into a tight bun at the top of her head, and her thin lips were pressed into a scowl. "Whaddya want?" she spat, her Manhattan accent ringing thickly through the air.

"Um... we- we just... we wanted- wanted to, um..." Percy's feeble attempt at introducing himself forced Annabeth to step in front of him and take over.

"We're here to see Mr. Zeus," she said politely.

"You got an appointment?" said the woman doubtfully, shifting the mop from one hand to the other.

"Uh..." Appointment? Percy stiffened, as if he had no clue his dad's old friend was in such high demand. "Yes," replied Annabet cheerily. "We're his 5:00 appointment. It's always good to be early, you know."

The old (and somewhat intimidating) woman still looked a little wary, but she let them inside anyways. "Mr. Zeus's office is up the left staircase, third door on the right. Normally his secretary would escort you, but she's on her dinner break." The woman propped the mop up in her hand menacingly. "And if you steal anything from this house, I will know. I will hunt you down. And you will be sorry."

On that happy note, the woman tromped out of the room.

Annabeth held her breath as she took in the interior of the building. A huge marble staircase was the first thing she saw when she walked into the room. There were hallways on either side of it, leading straight to the back of the building. It split into two and arced out to the left and right, leading into more hallways. She ran her hand delicately along the brass banister.

"Percy," she said softly. "This is what the mansion would have looked like. You know, back before it was abandoned. I can feel it."

Percy smiled slightly. He took her hand and together they followed the grumpy old lady's instructions up the staircase. The hallways held no less finesse then the staircase. There were ancient paintings lining the walls, suits of armor, and old grandfather clocks that clicked rhythmically through the silence.

"Here it is," muttered Percy nervously. He reached his hand up to knock on the door. The second before his fist hit the wood, Annabeth panicked.

"Wait!" she hissed.

Percy froze, his eyes wide. "What?"

"What if he does have a 5:00 appointment? We can't just barge in there and talk to him! We should have called, or given some sort of warning that we were coming, or-"

Annabeth wasn't done with her tirade, but Percy quickly reached up and knocked anyways. Annabeth glared at him, but he shrugged innocently, like he hadn't been aware that she was even speaking.

"Enter," a strong male voice boomed through the door.

Percy flashed her a quick grin before opening the door. Annabeth followed reluctantly. The office was clean and organized. There was no sense of clutter anywhere. This in itself made Annabeth more comfortable. Sure, she lived in a dump of an abandoned mansion, but a guy who took the time to sort things out like this and keep them that way would be less likely to abduct her and Percy and sell them to some foreign country as slaves. Right?

The man behind the desk stood up. Annabeth had a sudden yet strong urge to bow. The man was wearing a business suit and his shaggy brown hair was combed into a professional style. She felt a bit self-conscious about the fact that her jeans were ripped and she was wearing an old tee-shirt (and had nothing to cover it with since she gave away her sweater to Beckendorf). She was sure that her hair was a mess as well. The man that she assumed to be Zeus stood tall and firm. A regal air had settled itself around him. Annabeth was excited. He looked like he could help them.

She was wrong.

The moment he saw the two of them, his eyes flashed. Annabeth could have sworn that she heard a thunder clap in the distance, though the skies had been clear when she was outside just a moment ago. His hands clenched into fists, and his stormy eyes pierced them.

"Get out," he growled, looking directly at Percy. "Get the hell out!"

* * *

**I was all excited about these chapters, like "Yay, they're longer, more than 2,000 words! And then I see in my inbox: RebelGirl13's favorite story. Chapter 14: 7,893 words. What?**

**Today's theme song is for Piper and Jason!**

**As Long As You Love Me by Justin Bieber**

I know, a lot of people aren't big Bieber fans (myself included) but you should check out Carly Rose Sonenclare's (no idea how to spell that) version! It's amazing! Special thanks to ** for this theme song! Got any ideas? Let me know!**

**Review!**

**My newest obsession: Newsies! Anyone seen it?**

**-Rebel**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 20**

Percy blinked. "Excuse me?" he said.

"I said... I told you..." The man trailed off, a look of puzzlement crossing his face. "Who are you?"

Percy exchanged a wary look with Annabeth. "My name's Percy Jackson. Sir," he added hastily.

"You... You are related to Poseidon Jackson?" said the man uncertainly.

Percy nodded. "He's my father."

The man sucked in a sharp breath. "What do you want?" he growled.

"I..." Percy didn't know where to begin. The man, presumably Zeus, spared him.

"Who's she?" he said, jerking his head towards Annabeth.

"'She' can be directly addressed!" huffed Annabeth indignantly before Percy could answer. "My name's Annabeth."

The man - Zeus - sat back down at his desk. He rubbed his temples and muttered, "God, you look just like them." Percy glanced at Annabeth to see if she had heard. If she did, she didn't show it. Instead she sat down at a chair facing Zeus's desk.

"We need information on Poseidon Jackson," she said cooly.

"What makes you think I know Poseidon Jackson?" said Zeus, his eyes flaring.

Annabeth did something very brave. She pulled off her necklace and set it down on the desk. "This," she said, with an air of authority in her voice. "Is a symbol. It's on my necklace, on Poseidon's old uniform, and," she nodded towards Zeus. "On your sleeve." Zeus tugged his arm off the desk, but not before Percy spotted the red and gold swirled emblem embroidered on it.

"And you were the one who mentioned him first," pointed out Percy, sitting down in the other chair.

Zeus looked like he was ready to burst with anger. For a minute, Percy thought he might. "You have no right to be in here!" roared Zeus.

"I have every right to be here!" retorted Percy. "My father lied to us for years. I'm here to find out the truth."

"And she is, too?" said Zeus gruffly, once again referring to Annabeth.

"I'm here to help Percy find his father," she said firmly.

A look of surprise flashed across Zeus's face. "That's all?"

Annabeth stiffened a little. "Well, I kind of want to know why my locket-"

"So," Zeus interrupted. "Whether I knew your father or not, here is not the place to be talking about him."

"I think it is," Annabeth declared lazily, swinging her locket around in her hand.

"And what," spluttered Zeus, "Makes you think that?"

"If you don't tell us what you know about Poseidon," she said idly, still swinging the necklace. "We'll go to the police and say that you kidnapped us, and that we just escaped. I mean, we look pretty beat up, don't we?"

As Annabeth said this, Percy realized just how true it was. He had a forming bruise across his jawbone and a barely staunched bloody nose. Annabeth was no better. She was limping, and, as he noticed, had blood in her hair.

Zeus opened his mouth and then closed it again angrily. He stood up from his desk. "Stay here," he said stiffly, striding out of the room.

"Blackmail?" Percy muttered under his breath. "I didn't know you had that in you."

Annabeth shrugged. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

Zeus returned a moment later carrying a cardboard box. He set it heavily on the desk and began rummaging through it. He pulled out a piece of navy-blue cloth. Percy ad Annabeth jerked back as he spread it over his desk. It was a banner with the red and gold emblem on it.

"This," he said gruffly, as if he wished he could be anywhere but here. "This flag bears the symbol of the Freedom Corps."

"The what?" said Percy dumbly.

"Let me finish!" snapped Zeus. "It..." He cleared his throat. "It is an orginazation that gathers intelligence for the United States government."

"Like spies?" inquired Annabeth.

Zeus nodded stiffly. "Very much like spies."

"And my father was connected to this organization?" said Percy.

Zeus nodded again. "He is one of our top agents."

"Is?" Percy breathed. Zeus looked furious with himself. "You mean... he's not dead?" Percy's mind was spinning. Was his Dad really, truly... alive? If so, why had he abandoned them this whole time?

"I have no way of knowing," Zeus declared. "I haven't seen Don in years."

"Don? Is that what you called him?" said Annabeth.

Zeus sighed and nodded. "There was a time when Poseidon and I were, er, what you would call close. But that time is long gone. I must say, I thought you were your father when you entered."

"Where is he now?" demanded Percy.

Zeus pursed his lips. "I'm afraid that is classified information."

"Tell me!" Percy shouted. He stood up and banged his fist on the desk furiously, surprising himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Annabeth's eyes widen. For some reason, that gave him more willpower. "Tell me where he is! I've spent too long worrying, too long waiting!"

Zeus suddenly seemed very interested in the face of his desk. "I can't believe I'm about to tell you this," he murmured. "But... go to Miami. Miami, Florida. There's a base there. If you can find it, they'll tell you everything you need to know. About the Freedom Corps, about your father, about the locket, everything."

Annabeth stood up. She opened her mouth, and closed it again. "Thanks," she whispered.

Zeus looked away. It didn't seem that he was inclined to say more. Percy gently took Annabeth's hand in his own and led her out of the office. They walked numbly through the hall, down the stairs, and out the door. Percy was subconsciously aware of the fact that he was still holding Annabeth's hand, and she didn't seem to mind.

"Miami?" Annabeth's voice sounded small, as if it wasn't really her speaking. "We have to... we have to go all the way to Florida?"

"I have to," Percy corrected. "I don't want you getting mixed up in this."

Annabeth gave a sudden tug and wrenched her hand out of his. A fiery light shone in her eyes, making them look bluer than ever. "I had the locket," she reminded him furiously. "I'm part of this. I'm connected to the Freedom Corps, somehow. You know as well as I do that there was something Zeus knew about me - my past - that he wasn't telling us."

Percy shifted uneasily, unsure of where the conversation was headed. "Annabeth-"

"No," she said firmly. "If you're going to Miami, than so am I. We're partners now."

Percy couldn't help but grin at this. "Partners in crime?" he teased, taking her hand and continuing to lead her to the bus stop.

Annabeth didn't pull away. "I was thinking more Partners in Investigation."

"So we're turning this into a CSI marathon, are we?"

Annabeth sighed. "I feel like it's doing that all on it's own."

* * *

Percy and Annabeth stumbled through the Jackson's front door at 11 'o clock that night. They had just barely made the bus back from New York, having to clean themselves up at the station. Percy prayed that no blood was left on them. Bleary-eyed and exhausted, Annabeth mumbled something about going home. Percy was overtired, too. That was, until he saw Paul and Sally in the kitchen. Their faces were white.

"What's wrong?" said Annabeth. So she had noticed it, too.

Sally's lips pursed into a thin line. She didn't speak.

"Oh, come on!" groaned Percy. "We were gone for a day. How much could we have missed?"

Paul stepped forward. "The town council decided something today," he said slowly.

"Summerville has a town council?" said Percy, surprised.

"They passed a motion," said Paul, ignoring Percy. "A motion to bulldoze Annabeth's mansion."

Percy blanched. "What?!"

Sally shook herself slightly. "They said that... The house was the source of toomany superstitious tragedies. They want it gone."

"What about me?" protested Annabeth. "What am I supposed to do?"

Paul and Sally exchanged glances. "Tomorrow Sally's going to try to get an appeal for the house," said Paul gently. "But if it doesn't work..."

Paul didn't finish. Everyone knew what he was thinking. Annabeth couldn't stay with them. They couldn't keep a runaway in their house. Someone would find out and drag her back to the foster system. It occurred to Percy that they could be Annabeth's foster family, but one look at her face told him not to say it out loud. Annabeth's skin was ashen, her eyes frantically searching his for some kind of solution.

"I can't leave my mansion," she whispered, only loud enough for him to hear.

Percy started. After all the time that he'd known her, she had always referred to it as "the mansion", never "my mansion". But they all knew that it was. It was her mansion, and he wasn't going to let anyone take it away from her.

* * *

**I HAVE WIFI. THE GODS HAVE SPOKEN.**

**Today's theme song is for Percy and Annabeth (shocker)!**

**Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift**

**Special thanks to **jenna Jackson (guest)** for this theme song!**

**Just so you know, Ghost Girl is drawing to a close. There are only a few new chapters left. But fear not, for I have a sequel planned! (I mean, not that you would actually care, but...) I've had the sequel planned since I started the story. Kind if sad, huh?**

**Oh my gods, though. I realized today that people search this story on the internet. Like, it says that more than 200 people have typed in "Percy Jackson fan fiction Ghost Girl" on the search engine. *squeals* And I have over 23,000 hits! Thank you guys so much!**

**-Rebel**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 21

"The Chair will now hear to Summerville resident Mrs. Sally Jackson's request for an appeal." Punctuating the end of this sentence with a belch, Chairman Gleeson Hedge sat down in his padded chair at the front of the room. As Sally rose (looking appalled at the Chairman's behavior), Percy could see her hands shaking. She was standing in front of the town council, clutching her case in her hands. Percy was sitting in a chair on the side of the room, hoping that she wouldn't screw it up.

"The house on the hill," she began uncertainly. "Has been there for over a hundred years. These town archives will tell you as much." No one said anything. This seemed to annoy Sally, and she drove on, with more conviction. "It belonged to Andrew Jacobson and Tara Rodrigez, as well as Andrew's younger sister Carly, functioning as a summer home. While it _is_ true that Carly was murdered in this house, there is _no_ physical evidence whatsoever that the house is being possessed by some supernatural force. It is a historical figure for this town, and if we knock it down, we knock down some of our past with it." Sally took a deep breath. "This is why I propose an appeal. The house is not just a historical sight, but also a home to many woodland animals. I know personally. You can hear them from my house." This evoked a few chuckles from the council. "If you destroy the mansion, you destroy an entire habitat."

"The house wasn't meant to be a home for assorted wildlife," argued one of the chairmen half-heartedly.

"Not originally, no," said Sally thoughtfully. "But we humans abandoned it. We left it to rot, forgotten and untouched. The animals made a home out of what we discarded, and put new life into it. It may look like an empty old house to all of you, but under the surface it is so, so much more."

A few people applauded, Percy being one of them. He had a feeling that she was talking about more than just the animals. He held his breath, waiting for the council to respond.

* * *

Percy winced as Annabeth sucked in a breath. "They said no?" she whispered. "They're going to tear down my mansion?"

Percy put his arm around her shoulders and allowed her to lean against him. She rested her head against his shoulder. "So what am I going to do?" she said tonelessly, as if it was a dream, and she would wake up any second.

"You know, you could always… stay with us," Percy suggested tentatively. "I mean, you're over all the time. Mom and Paul, they could be your foster parents. They totally love you!"

Annabeth stiffened. "I don't know."

"Well, Mom wants you to come stay at our house for the night, anyways. Just until we figure out what's going on."

"'What's going on'?!" said Annabeth sharply. "What's going _on_ is that my life is about to change, in an _extremely _significant way." She stood up, fire flaming in her blue eyes. "It seems like stuff like this always happens to _me_. Like there are demons, bloody _Furies_, circling me in the dark, just waiting for that one moment when I'm at my weakest, and then they strike, and they take everything I care about!"

"Annabeth," said Percy, shocked at the intensity of her tone. "You still have us."

"But don't you get it?" she cried, a lone tear tracing its way down her cheek. "Sooner or later, you'll be gone too. You, your parents, Tyson, I'll lose you, just like I lose everyone. Every_thing_." Annabeth was crying now, tears cascading down her tan skin.

"Annabeth –" Percy moved to get up, but Annabeth lashed out.

"No!" she sobbed. "Stay away from me!"

Percy's mind was working in overdrive. He had never seen Annabeth like this, at her weakest. She looked totally miserable, and that scared Percy, because Annabeth was the strongest person he knew.

"Hey. Hey, listen to me," he said quietly. He gently grabbed her wrists, trying to stop her hands from quaking. "Just listen." Annabeth's crying seemed to slow down gradually, and she didn't try to escape his grip.

"You're not losing us. Any of us, okay?" His hands slipped over her skin so that they were holding her face. He brushed away her tears with his thumbs. "We're never going to leave you."

"Everyone says that," she whispered hoarsely.

"Just believe in _me_, Annabeth," said Percy desperately. "Believe that I'm never going to leave you, because I'm not. And if anyone tries to take you away from me, I sure as hell won't let them. Alright? You might lose the mansion, but I'm different. I'm always here."

Annabeth stared up into his eyes, almost as if she was searching for something. Percy noticed that their bodies were getting closer. Closer, closer, much too close…

A loud shout sounding from outside made Annabeth jump. Her forehead collided with Percy's nose and he let out a groan. "Sorry," she squeaked. They made their way out of Annabeth's room to the front of the house to see who was making all of the noise. Percy's heart jumped to his throat as he saw through the window a group of people marching up the hill towards Annabeth's house. He recognized them as the villagers. Each one had their fists clenched and a scowl set in their features.

Annabeth took a step back and gripped Percy's hand. "Oh my Gods," she said, horrified.

They were so close that Percy could see their faces. Hazel from the convenience store was there, and so was Octavian. There was Leo, Jason and Piper, as well as all of Percy's teachers from school. "It's the entire village," he said in amazement. The force of this reality shook Percy. He spun around to face Annabeth and gripped her shoulders tightly. "Go hide," he said urgently. "Go up and hide somewhere. Not in your room, just go."

Annabeth's eyes widened. "But Percy, what-"

"Go," he commanded firmly. "I've got a plan."

Annabeth stared at him for a moment like she had never seen him in her life. He expected her to protest and say she would stay with him. He was wrong.

As fast as lightning, Annabeth sprang forward, kissed him firmly on the lips, and then pulled back. "Good luck," she said, and took off swiftly up the stairs.

Percy stared at the space where she had just been standing, dumbfounded. She had kissed him. _She had kissed him_. A grin broke out on his face. Annabeth had kissed him! Annabeth had kissed _him_. Him. What was his name again?

Another loud shout jerked Percy back to reality. He raced back into her room and leapt out of the window, sprinting around to greet the villagers in such a way that it made him look like he had come from his own house. A wave of nausea met him when he suddenly came face to face with the villagers. They all stopped at the sight of him as he carefully stopped between the mob and the mansion.

"Um, hey," he said stupidly, raising a hand. "I was just— we were wondering, er, what exactly it was that you were all doing… here."

"Didn't you hear, Percy?" called Leo. "We've come to take the house."

Percy's heart contracted. "Didn't the town council say that they would send a bulldozing team here the day after tomorrow?"

An old man near the front of the crowd let out a harsh laugh. "We ain't waitin' for no lousy Chairman to take down this house. Its reign of terror has lasted long enough."

Cheers from the villagers.

"Yeah, we've all seen it!" cried a woman in a floral print dress. "It's high time that the house burns, and the Ghost Girl with it!"

_It's high time that the house burns_. For the first time, Percy noticed the dozens of gasoline canteens that they villagers had in tow. "No," he said, realization dawning on him. "No, no!"

The villagers ignored him and proceeded to march towards the mansion. He grabbed his hair with his hands and pulled. _Think, Percy. Think_. They were going to set fire to the mansion. He couldn't let them burn the house. Annabeth was in there, and with the amount of gasoline they had, she could never escape the flames. _Ghost Girl_. Annabeth was the Ghost Girl, no doubt about that. But she was _his_ Ghost Girl. He couldn't let her burn. Not after everything he had just promised. Only one option presented itself, staring Percy down in the face. He steeled himself.

Tell the villagers about Annabeth. It wasn't what he wanted to do, but if the alternative option was letting her _die_, then he knew he had to.

"Wait!" he shouted, waving his arms and racing up the hill behind him. "You can't do this! There's someone _in _there –" A wave of heat struck Percy and he gasped, instinctively lifting his arms to shield his face. Cheers rang out from the villagers and Percy forced himself to look.

He had decided too late, and it was evident that no one had heard him, anyways. It looked like they had stacked all the gasoline in the first room, and lit a firework, herding everyone away from the house. Right now, he was the closest. The Mansion of Violet Hill was an inferno of flames, and Annabeth, _his Annabeth_, was trapped inside.

**So, who's seen the cover for House of Hades? If you haven't, just type in "House of Hades" on any search engine and you'll find it in the first few results. It made me freak out!**

**Today's theme song is for Percy and Annabeth! (Honestly, people, they're not the only two characters in the series!)**

**Ready or Not by Bridgit Mendler**

**Special thanks to **blankslate37 **for this theme song! If you've got any suggestions for theme songs, let me know.**

**Omg guys I found a comic strip on tum-blr of the end of Mark of Athena (you know, everybody's favorite scene (and by favorite I mean heart-stopping tear-educing cliffhanger(LITERALLY HANGING OFF A CLIFF))) and it's **_**so**_** good. Go find it.**

**-Rebel**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 22**

Annabeth crouched behind the windowsill of the South Window. She had fled to the fifth floor, her lips still tingling. She couldn't believe she had had the nerve to kiss Percy, but she did it before she realized what was happening. And of course, she had to look cooler about the whole situation than him. As she crouched, she peered over the window slightly, watching Percy talk to the villagers. He stood at the bottom of the hill, waving his arms wildly as he spoke to them. What was he saying?

Leaning up against the wall, Annabeth groaned. She couldn't look at the villagers anymore. Percy would stop them. She was sure. Whatever they were planning, Percy would help her. He had promised.

_But what if he doesn't?_ said a small voice in her head. _What if he can't? You should get out of the house. You should run._

Annabeth shook her head to clear it. She was not abandoning her mansion. She was not leaving her home, even though…

She glared pointedly at the walls, a sudden though occurring to her. "What have you ever done for me, though? Why should I save you?" she said sharply to them.

The walls didn't reply. Annabeth kicked one of them. "This house has done nothing for me! It just made me remember. It just gave me false hope, and –"

Annabeth squinted her eyes as she noticed a small piece of paper on the floor in the doorway. It most certainly hadn't been there when she entered the room. She walked slowly over to it, crouched down, and gingerly picked it up. It was a piece of stationary, eerily similar to the kind she kept under her mattress in case of an emergency. Scrawled upon the paper where the words, _And it gave you Percy_. The words fit perfectly with her rant. And the handwriting wasn't hers at all.

She dropped the paper like it burned and quickly backed away, never taking her eyes off of it. _It gave me false hope, and it gave me Percy_. The walls… She had been talking to the walls. Had they answered? Or had it been something else? Annabeth never would have admitted it to Percy, but she had been entertaining the idea of the Ghost Girl ever since she found the documents in the Library. Was the note…?

She slapped her hand on her forehead. She was going insane. Absolutely insane. There was no such thing as ghosts. She was probably imagining the paper, too. It wasn't there. It wasn't _real_. "Come on, Annabeth, come on," she muttered, beginning to pace.

Glancing back at the paper on the ground, she wrung her hands together. No ghost. No Ghost Girl of Violet Hill. Not really, anyways. _She_ was the Ghost Girl.

She blinked. To her horror, another paper had appeared next to the first note in the short time that her eyes had been shut. Her hands began to shake. "Hello?" she called. "Who's there? Percy, is that you? Cut it out, this isn't funny!" Despite the fact that she was inwardly terrified, she quickly snatched up the second note. This time, the same handwriting displayed a much more lengthy message.

_I have done so much for you, Annabeth. You've always known I was there, haven't you? You just never wanted to believe it. You don't have to be scared of me. I'm your friend. That's all I ever wanted, you know. A friend. You gave me one. I got to watch you and Percy. You chose my mansion as your home. For that, I thank you. When the time comes that your darkest hour has arrived, I will assist you. When my darkest hour arrives, I'm afraid you won't be awake to witness it. Just remember me when my mansion is gone._

_-Carly Jacobson_

Annabeth choked, covering her mouth with her hand. _Carly Jacobson_. That was the name of the girl who was murdered here. It was the name of the Ghost Girl. A gut instinct told Annabeth that this wasn't some kind of sick joke. That made her all the more terrified.

"How?" she cried out. "How have I been your friend? I-" _Talked to the walls, didn't you, Annabeth?_ And who had listened? The whole time, she was never really talking to the walls. She was talking to the Ghost Girl. And the Ghost Girl, Carly, told the truth- Annabeth had noticed little things, all over the place. Noises she dismissed for squirrels living in the house, things lying around that she convinced herself she had previously misplaced and forgotten about. Because, she didn't believe in supernatural occurrences. She _hadn't_.

She shivered. "What do you mean my darkest hour? And why will I be asleep during yours? How do you even _know_?" No note appeared to explain.

Annabeth gasped. For years, it had been this way… "Carly," she whispered. Then the whole world went black.

* * *

Annabeth blinked open her eyes to see red. And orange. A little bit of blue in there, too. It took her a moment to realize that she was sprawled out on the wooden planked floor. Smoke was wafting up from a small hole in the floor. _When did that get there_? she thought. _What happened?_

She crawled over to the hole, which appeared to go down to the third floor. The third floor, which was drowning in flames. Annabeth cried out. Fire! Had the Ghost Girl – Carly – cause it? No, it couldn't be. She claimed to be Annabeth's friend. So what was it?

Annabeth scampered to the door and flung the door open, racing outwards. She clambered down the stairs and screamed as a flaming beam fell in her path, sparks and ash flying up from it. As she coughed, her eyes searched desperately for an escape. She knew this house inside and out. The problem was, the fire surrounded her like a wall. She couldn't see passed the red. She couldn't hear over the pounding of her heart in her ears.

"Carly!" she screamed, choking on the smoke. "Where are you?"

She tried her best to crouch down to the ground, narrowly avoiding another portion of the roof as it caved in. The heat was so intense that she felt like she was already burning, though she was nowhere near the flames. Her knees were scratched through her jeans as she crawled towards the door. Uncontrollably coughing from the smoke, she reached up to grab the door handle. The hot metal burned her skin like acid.

Annabeth cried out and crouched down, clutching her injured hand to her chest. She couldn't jump out one of the windows. For one thing, she was much too high up. For another, the glass in the window was sharp and jagged. She would bleed to death before she reached the ground.

_Percy_. Where was he? Was he okay? It dawned on Annabeth that the villagers must have started the fire. But how? How had they caused an explosion, or caused it to spread like it was? One of the old rotten photo frames on the wall fell down, causing a large _crash _to sound through the air. All of her pictures in her room were probably burning now. Every memory she had of Luke, of Malcolm, of her family, was gone. Even her only picture of her birth mother. All that was left was the locket she clutched in her uninjured hand.

_In your darkest hour, I will assist you_. The words came back to Annabeth like a dream. "It's… It's my d-darkest hour!" she cried hoarsely into the flames. "I don't think it can get much worse than this! If you're here, if you're listening, _please_!" The house would collapse any minute.

"Annabeth!" It was Percy! She heard his voice call her name, but it seemed so distant. She tried to answer, but smoke filled her chest, and she began violently coughing. _Where are you?_ she begged silently. Her lungs were screaming for clean air. She felt the smoke fill her, penetrate her, use her. She collapsed on the floor, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.

_Percy,_ she thought. _Help me, please!_

Her eyes began to slowly close and she coughed again. No Ghost Girl was coming. _This is it_, she thought. _I'm going to die_. A sound like a rush of wind greeted her ears. Slowly, she forced her eyelids up, the smoke stinging her eyes to the point of tears. A thought flitted through her mind- _The dream. You dreamed about this_.

Through the tears and the smoke, she saw a silver light. It seemed to be radiating from a young girl who stood at the center of it. Her skin was so pale it seemed transparent – or maybe it was. Her dark hair fell into mangled curls at her shoulders, and her gray eyes were filled with a hollow sorrow. She looked so heartbroken that Annabeth wanted to hug her. Darkness shrouded Annabeth's vision. "Carly?" she whispered. The girl nodded sadly.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth." A small, whispery voice floated through the smoke to the coughing girl on the ground. "I'm so sorry."

A sudden sensation came over Annabeth. She was flying. Or was she floating? Her eyes were closed, and they couldn't seem to open. She was definitely floating. Or… now, she was falling, down, down, down, through the ground to the other side of the earth. She felt solid ground touch her back and she felt something pass through her, like she was stepping through a cloud.

"Live on for me, Annabeth Chase," the whispery voice requested.

Suddenly, she felt Percy right next to her. "Annabeth?" he coughed. "W-where did you come from?"

She gasped, realizing that she was no longer inhaling smoke. She opened her eyes to confirm this, but when she did, the smoke was back and stronger than ever. She felt the heat begin to singe the ends of her hair.

"Annabeth," Percy whispered, staring at her. "Your eyes."

"My… my eyes?" she choked out. The flames were so intense that Annabeth broke out into a sweat.

"They're gray," said Percy, horrified.

Annabeth felt the weight of these words on her. She tried to stay awake, tried to keep her eyes open, but the darkness was just too tempting. She closed her eyes and allowed her conciousness to slip away.

* * *

'**Kay guys, Ghost Girl is almost over. Like I said before, I do have a sequel planned. The main point in Ghost Girl was to broaden the relationship between Percy and Annabeth. The main point of the sequel? Answers :D Anyways, this story's got about 2 chapters left + an epilogue. **

**Today's theme song is one I picked out myself for Hazel!**

**Gold by Britt Nicole**

**Hehehe.**

**Thank you for all of your amazing-ness! I have **_**fans**_**! *mental freakout***

**-Rebel**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 23**

"Annabeth," Percy whispered, staring straight at her. "Your eyes."

"My… my eyes?" Her voice was hoarse and rough, as if she had been on cigarettes since the age of six. Percy knelt down next to her.

"They're gray," he said, horrified. Her eyes had _changed color_. And not just a slight shade adjustment, either. They were like storm clouds, boring into him with all of the fierceness that Annabeth possessed. Where was the icy blue that had surveyed him so often? What had happened?

She closed her eyes. "Annabeth?" he said, panicked, shaking her slightly. "Annabeth, wake up!"

She didn't give any sign that she had heard. Her breathing rapidly became shallow and raucous, and she was struggling to draw in the little oxygen that was left in the room.

Percy coughed violently, trying to stay as low to the ground as possible, like he had learned to during his elementary school's fire prevention week. He knew he had to get Annabeth out of the flame's wake. She had been in here much longer than she had. But how had she found him? He had thought that he was standing by himself, trying to get through a flaming doorway, when she had appeared out of nowhere next to him.

Very slowly, he put one arm under her back and one arm under her knees. He straightened up stiffly, internally groaning at the extra weight that Annabeth provided. Just narrowly avoiding bashing her head against a charred portion of wall, he did his best to carry her down the first flight of stairs. "Come on, Ghost Girl," he choked, keeling over in the heat. "I'm trying, so you have to try too. Keep breathing!"

A hole in the wall presented itself to Percy. He knew it had been there long before the fire, the result of extensive neglect, and it seemed untouched by the flames. Were Percy not fighting to escape with his life and Annabeth's still intact, he would have marveled at how quickly the fire had spread, covering most of the mansion. The wood must have been dried out. _And the gasoline would have helped too, idiot_, he thought angrily.

Holding Annabeth sideways, he edged through the hole gingerly, holding his breath. _First floor_. They were on the first floor. He had lost track in the maze of infernos, but here they were. He jumped down, and another alarming thought flashed across his mind. How would he get her back to his house without alerting the villagers of her presence? Now that she was out of danger (well, immediate danger, anyways), he couldn't reveal her existence to them.

He crept around the side of the house, Annabeth still in tow, and peered around the corner. To his shock, most of the villagers were gone. Sally and Paul were out there, and so was the Police Chief, Janus Deuxtetes, who was looking extremely miffed. Janus was forcing people away from the house, as well as complaining to Sally about how he called her in the middle of a very important game of poker.

Percy decided to take his chances. If anyone would see them, it would be Janus. And he might not look towards the house. Percy had a sudden idea.

He set Annabeth down onto the grassy ground a good ten feet away from the house. He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and pressed the speed-dial 4, shoving it up to his ear. _Pick up, _he urged. _Pick up, pick up, pick up! _On the other side of the house, he could see Sally digging out her phone and answering it.

"_Percy_?! Where are you? Where's Annabeth? What's going on –"

"Get Janus to look the other way," he hissed into the microphone.

"What? Why –"

"I have to get Annabeth back to the house without him seeing!"

"Percy, Janus practically has two heads. He tricks people, not the other way around! There's no way I can-"

"Just try. _Please_. For Annabeth!"

Percy quickly hung up, praying that his mother would think of something. He heard her shout "Over there!" before he picked up Annabeth and sprinted. He didn't dare look back at the scene at the top of the hill. He just kept running.

Soon, he was in front of the back door. He kicked open the screen and lifted Annabeth inside, placing her on the couch in the living room. "Okay, think Percy, _think_," he muttered, pulling at his hair and pacing next to the couch.

"Percy!" Both Sally and Paul burst into the kitchen. They rushed over to the couch. "My gods, what happened?" whispered Sally, sounding utterly horrified.

"She was caught in the fire." Percy tried to explain, but it felt like his chest was tightening up. "I – I tried –" He begn to cough violently again, and Sally's eyes widened. She spun around to face the kitchen and spotted Tyson, who was cowering in the door frame, looking extremely disgruntled.

"Tyson, get me a glass of water," she instructed. Her arms gripped Percy's shoulders and sat him down on one of the armchairs next to the chair. "I'll get a wet dishcloth. Paul, can you –"

"I'll call an ambulance," Paul said, whipping his phone out of his pocket. Sally stiffened and straightened up.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she said hesitantly.

Paul stared at her incredulously. "Sally, Percy's coughing his throat to shreds, and Annabeth's _unconscious_. We don't even know what's wrong with her! She could be –"

"No," croaked Percy, getting his voice under control so he could speak. He ran a soot-covered hand through his unruly hair. His arms had started to ache long ago, but the subject of Annabeth had brought back the straining sting he had received from carrying Annabeth. His breathing was ragged, and his lungs felt like they were going to burst. "Listen. Something… something happened in there. I'm not sure what it was, but one minute, she was four floors above me, and the next she just sort of appeared at my," He coughed again here, "side. When she opened her eyes, they… they weren't – normal," he finished lamely.

"What do you mean, 'normal'?" questioned Paul, who had lowered the phone from his ear, but was still gripping it so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

Percy took a deep breath. "Her eyes changed."

Sally was regarding him in confusion. She picked her way over to where Annabeth lay and bent down. She slowly lifted up one of Annabeth's eyelids. Her eyes were mostly rolled into the back of her head, but the irises were still visible enough to deduce the stormy gray they had become.

Sally jumped back in horror, knocking into the coffee table as she did so, and causing the vase that was set upon to crash to the floor. No one seemed to care. "Her eyes are gray!" she gasped. "Was that – did she wear contacts and never tell us?"

Percy shifted uncomfortably. "I saw her a few minutes before the fire started. Her eyes were as blue as anything. But… maybe she just took them off?"

Paul was wearing a doubtful expression. "That still doesn't settle the matter of taking her to the hospital," he pointed out.

Tyson appeared, clutching a glass of water in his trembling hands. Most of the water that had presumably been in the cup when he filled it was now a trail of droplets from the kitchen sink to the chair. "Thank you, Tyson," said Sally, and she lifted the glass to Percy's lips. He snatched it away from her irritably. He wasn't the one passed out on the sofa, here!

"Paul, think about it," said Sally. "If we take her to the hospital, people will want information. They'll want to know where she leaves, who her legal guardian is, and – possibly – a birth certificate."

Paul looked conflicted, his hand that held the cell phone half way up to his ear. Percy hastily swallowed the water and stood up. "Maybe we should wait," he suggested. "Just a little while, at least. Maybe 24 hours. Then, if she isn't awake, we should take her to the hospital. Her life matters more than her identity, but…" Percy once again ran his hands through his hair. "If we take her to the hospital when she's fine, she'll never forgive us."

* * *

**Eh. Not my favorite chapter, but it had to happen. **

**Theme song! It is for Percy and Annabeth (haha. Surprise!)**

**Hey There Delilah by the Plain Whtie T's**

**(Or as we like to call it, Hey There Annabeth) Special thanks to **Flameon88 **for the theme song!**

**So, just out of curiosity, does anyone who doesn't know the lyrics to the theme song ever go look them up?**

**-Rebel**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 24**

Annabeth opened her eyes. She would have liked to say that it was a dramatic flutter of the lashes, or something to that effect, but that wasn't the case. Her eyes simply just... opened. The first thing she noticed when she woke up was Percy. He was in an uncomfortable-looking wooden chair next to her. His head rested in his arms against the arm of the chair and he appeared to be asleep. The second thing that made itself clear to her was where she was. The couch in the Blofis-Jackson residence living room? For some reason, that didn't surprise her.

The third the she was aware of was the pain. Her head was pounding as if some heavily-muscled person was swinging a hammer into her skull. Repeatedly. She pressed her hand up to her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut. The pounding was almost rhythmic. It was agonizing. But what was the cause?_ I must have hit my head on the way out of the mansion, _she reasoned with herself. But... how had she gotten out?

She noticed something else. Her hand was wrapped in something warm. She looked down. Percy's hand. How did she not realize that when she saw him? She smiled softly. She couldn't see his face, for it was hidden by his arms and his unruly black hair.

"Annabeth?" She looked up. Sally Jackson had just entered the room, clutching a gray mug so tightly that her knuckles were white. Annabeth was surprised that the handle hadn't snapped off. "Oh, you're awake!"

Sally swiftly strode over to the couch and set her mug down on the coffee table. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? You were in that house for such a long time, and I - we were scared that..."

"I'm fine, Mrs. Jackson," Annabeth assured her. "No broken bones, or anything like that. I just have a few scratches, and a little headache." _Little,_ she scoffed at herself inwardly._ That's a bit of an understatement._

"Ah, yes. Percy did mention something about hitting your head on the doorframe when he came in, or something like that."

"Percy- what do you mean? He... he carried me here?" Annabeth could not keep the surprise out of her voice. Then she felt ashamed. Why was she surprised? Percy was perfectly capable of doing something like that. He wouldn't have just left her in the mansion, even if it was to get help.

"Yeah, you should have seen him when he came in," laughed Sally. "His face was so red, and he could hardly breathe! I think it physically exhausted him." Sally's eyes softened. "He wouldn't go sleep, though. He wanted to stay with you, in case you woke up."

Annabeth blushed. Of course he did. That's exactly the kind of thing he would have done. _Seaweed brain._

"Percy really cares about you, you know," said Sally, her eyes on her son's sleeping form. And possibly the place where their hands were still connected.

"Yeah," agreed Annabeth. "I know." She knew now, anyways.

"Do you want me to make you some tea or hot chocolate or something?" said Sally, maternal instincts taking over. "You have to at least have some water. Lots of water. After all of that-"

Annabeth laughed. It hurt to laugh. The pounding in her head became more insistent. She just wanted to lie back down on the couch and curl up in a ball. "It's fine. I'll drink some water, I promise, but I can get it."

Sally nodded and climbed up the stairs to the second story. Annabeth gently sat back, grasping her locket in her hand. It had survived the fire, and so had she. They were both survivors. For some reason, the locket felt warmer in her hands than usual.

She was just about to close her eyes and mull over the fact that ghosts did indeed exist when Percy stirred. He lifted hid head groggily, eyeing her. After a moment, he seemed to realize who she was. "Annabeth!" He shot up and his hand was pulled out of hers. Annabeth was quite sorry about this.

"You're awake! You're- Are you hurt? I was - I mean - I didn't mean to fall asleep," he said sheepishly.

"I'm okay," said Annabeth, deciding subconsciously it was best not to tell him about her ever-increasing headache. "You sound just like your mom. She just came in here and said all the same things."

No one spoke. The silence was like a platter made of ice. At any second, it could be dropped and shatter. Annabeth rather enjoyed just sitting in the quiet, watching Percy, trying to ignore the hammering in her head.

They both opened their mouths to speak. "I-"

They stopped. "You go first," Percy suggested.

"I'm sorry," confessed Annabeth. "It's all my fault you were in that mansion."

Percy snorted. "Are you serious? It's my fault that it burned in the first place! I should have tried harder to stop them."

"Well, I-"

"Look," sighed Percy, running and hand through his hair. "Let's not do that."

He stared at her once more, as if trying to decide what to say. "Do you wear contacts?"

Annabeth blinked. "What?"

"I mean... Did you wear contacts, and then take them off? Is that why your eyes are different?"

Annabeth shot up off the sofa. "Whoa! Annabeth!" The room blurred around her, and it was suddenly hard to feel her feet. Her head pounded worse than ever. Luckily, Percy had stood up just in time to steady her. "What- what's wrong?" stammered Percy.

"I want to see my eyes," Annabeth responded hoarsely.

Percy didn't respond. "Percy," she said, more sharply this time. "I want to see them."

He helped her lower herself back onto the couch and pulled out his phone. He turned it on. "Look at me," he instructed. Annabeth, feeling a bit too bewildered to argue, complied. His phone was pointed towards her. It made a clicking noise. What on Earth was he doing?

She leaned forward as he flipped the phone around, showing her the screen. "What-" She stopped. It was a picture of her, obviously just taken seconds ago. A picture of her and her unmistakably gray irises.

"Well, that's disturbing," she said dumbly.

"No kidding," muttered Percy, shoving his phone back in his pocket.

The action reminded Annabeth of something she wanted to tell Percy. "Oh!" she gasped, plunging her hand into her own pocket. Her fingers closed around a grimy piece of paper. "Percy," she started. "Something weird happened in that house. Something - something I'm going to explain, but you have to listen, and you... you can't think I'm crazy."

"What is it?" Percy asked warily. He eyes her suspiciously. "What's in your hand?"

Annabeth took a deep breath and pulled the letter out of her pocket. "While I was up on the 5th floor, I got angry. I started shouting and - and talking to the walls," She blushed a little at this part, "And I was talking to her, Percy. It all makes sense now. I - I understand it."

"Maybe you hit your head harder than I thought," said Percy, putting and hand up to her head. Annabeth couldn't tell if he was joking or he was genuinely concerned. Either way, she was irritated.

"No, listen to me! Carly was there. She's the only reason that I got out of the fire. She... did something, I don't know. It carried me down to you."

Percy shuffled his feet. "Well, you did kind of pop out of nowhere," he admitted. "But hold on! Who's Carly?"

Annabeth held Percy's gaze. She wouldn't look down. She was sure she was right. She had the letter to prove it. "Carly Jacobson. The real Ghost Girl." She held out her palm, showing the wrinkled and slightly blackened piece of paper to Percy. "Go on," she urged. "Read it. Carly gave it to me."

Percy reluctantly took the letter and smoothed it out against his knee. A few small shreds of the blackened part drifted off of the paper and too the floor. As Percy read Carly's message, his eyes widened. He made no effort to hide his astonishment. After he seemed to be done, he surprised Annabeth by standing up again.

"She's real? How- how is this possible? How can she be... real?"

Annabeth stood up again, successfully stopping herself from teetering dangerously. "How can't it be possible? Think about it, Percy..."

"Oh, believe me, I am," he stated grimly, and once again they were standing face to face in a room by themselves. Annabeth watched his green eyes search her gray ones. "Maybe that's it," he whispered. "Why your eyes turned gray. Maybe Carly bringing you down to me... had something to with that."

Annabeth nodded, feeling that it wasn't the right time to speak. She was trying to figure out what he was feeling. His face held so many emotions that it was unreadable. It was like a journal that someone had written layers upon layers of words on top of each other so that they were illegible, but they were still there.

Percy blinked, and in his fashion, brought up a completely unrelated topic. "You kissed me," he pointed out.

Annabeth flushed a little. "You didn't seem to mind."

"I guess it wasn't too much of a burden," he said thoughtfully. His face was so close to hers, she could see little flecks of different colors in the green of his eyes.

"For you or for me?" she said quietly.

Percy grinned, all thoughts of supernatural phenomenons disappearing. "What do you think?"

And this time, he was kissing her, bring his up to her face and holding it, putting his other arm around her waist and pulling her close. Annabeth closed her eyes. She felt his lips on hers, and remembered Carly's last words to her.

_Live on for me._

She smiled into the kiss, not willing to break it. If this wasn't living, she didn't know what was. She was with Percy, and he was with her. He had promised not to leave her on her own, and that seemed like a damn good deal to her.

His mouth tasted like smoke and soot and ashes, but Annabeth didn't care. It was warm, and the moment their lips had touched, Annabeth's head had stopped hurting. The insistent throbbing, the persistent pounding of hammers and drums, it had completely vanished. And in this position, lasting in the moment, Annabeth thought that it would be a long time before it returned.

* * *

**Okay! That was a hard one! I know it's been a month *hides* but it's summer. (And during the school year, I'll be using the "I have school" card for my excuses.) I hope you all enjoyed my Percabeth moment here. It wasn't easy to write.**

**Since this is the last chapter before the epilogue, I decided give you guys two theme songs, both for Piper and Jason.**

**Hero by Sterling Knight**

**and Fearless by Taylor Swift**

**Special thanks to **bella345(guest)** and **thebestguest (guest) **for these theme songs! I'm no longer taking theme song suggestions, but I do **have a question**; should I'm going to post a list of all the theme songs used here. Should I just put them on the A/N of the Epilogue or should I put them in a different post?**

**-Rebel**


	26. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

A white light burst into Annabeth's vision. She clutched her head, biting back the scream that threatened to burst from her throat. It had been four weeks since the fire destroyed her mansion. For the moment, she was staying with the Jackson's. it had seemed like the obvious thing to do. No one mentioned any other ideas.

Mrs. Jackson had moved Percy into Tyson's room and given Annabeth Percy's room. The topic of getting official documents of adoption hadn't come up much, but when it had, the mood was extremely awkward. Annabeth wished that it didn't have to be like that, but something about being with these people felt oddly temporary.

She knew why it felt temporary. She had devised a plan. It was hard to face, and she kept putting it off, but that was why she was awake so late that night. She needed to run away.

It would kill her inside. She couldn't leave Tyson, her adorable little friend. She couldn't leave Sally, who had been so kind to her when she needed help. She could leave Paul, who had supplied her with so much. And Percy- no. She couldn't even think about leaving him. It made her chest tighten and her eyes sting. It physically hurt. She couldn't leave him. And yet, she had to.

She was in their way. She was always here, another mouth to feed, and her being there gave a high risk of getting them into legal trouble because of her past. She didn't want that for them. She also wanted answers about the Freedom Corps. Who were they? What did they do? How was she connected? She was prepared to find out. In fact, she already had a bag packed and waiting under her bed. Tonight. Tonight was the night she was finally going to do it.

She loved being with them. She loved being with Percy. He made her feel like something with worth. Rather than just another kid on the "orphaned" spread sheet, he made her feel like Annabeth. And as painful as it was, she knew that feeling that way was only temporary.

For Annabeth, the word "temporary" had always been a huge part of life. However, she had never thought a time would come when she would hope for something to _be_ temporary. When she woke up from the fire, she had gotten a bad headache. It had gone away when she had kissed Percy, and she hadn't expected to come back. But it did.

At first it had been every couple of days for a couple of seconds, maybe a minute. They were just sharp jabs of pain in her head. As time went on, the headaches would become closer together and longer. They stopped being small jabs and started growing to large pangs. Sometimes they were so intense that Annabeth couldn't see, and could barely move. This was a fact she had kept secret from her new family. She thought it best if they didn't know that she was in pain. For whatever reason, she was better off alone in this fight.

That wasn't the only thing she had been keeping secret. She and Percy had been... together. Not in a dating sense. They weren't boyfriend and girlfriend. At least, she didn't think so. She wasn't exactly sure where they stood. All she knew was that she was happy around him, and when he kissed her, he seemed happy. Why label it? Of course, she hadn't exactly informed either Sally or Paul of this change in behavior, and Percy hadn't seemed in a hurry to tell them. It was a sort of silent agreement to let the parents believe they were just friends. And anyways, what did it matter, if it was going to be ending soon?

Annabeth gasped, blinking. The headache was gone. She released her head, noting with satisfaction that she had not injured herself in an attempt to stop the pain (which had happened more than once on previous occasions.) She picked up the locket that rested on her chest and stared at it. It was warm in her hand. It always seemed to be warm these days, almost like it was glowing with heat. Annabeth often mused that it was an after-affect of the fire, even though she knew this was impossible.

A soft treading noise sounded on the stairs. Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at the digital clock next to her. It read 1:27 A.M. The Jackson's always went to bed early. Even if Percy claimed he was going to stay up late, he always wound up falling asleep by 10 'o clock. So who was going down the stairs?

Annabeth froze. Had someone broken in? What did the Jackson's have that someone would want to steal? Some silverware? A TV? There was a barely audible shuffle on the first floor and she could hear the faint creak of the screen door opening. That had to be the front door, because the back door didn't make any noise.

Annabeth hurried to her window. She would be able to see who it was if they went out the front! A figure strode out into the driveway, not seeming to be in a hurry. Annabeth squinted her eyes. It didn't seem like a burglar. But wait- she knew this person. Green swim team shirt, black and red backpack, unruly dark hair, and a swift, swaying walk.

_Percy_.

She scrambled to grab her bag from under her bed and raced down the stairs as quietly as she could. As she flew by the table, she noticed an envelope lying on the smooth polished wood. It said "Family" in sloppily legible handwriting. She continued out the door, careful not to let it slam. Percy was already walking down the hill.

"Percy!" she hissed under her breath. "Percy, where are you going?"

He kept walking, appearing not to have heard her. She had to sprint to catch up with his fast pace. She tapped him furiously on the back. He spun around, his green eyes wild. Percy obviously wasn't expecting anyone to follow.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Annabeth said harshly. "I was awake and I heard you. Why are you sneaking out of your house at this hour?"

Percy put a hand up to scratch his neck. "Annabeth, go back to sleep. I'll be back when you wake up."

"Liar," she accused him. "You're going somewhere. Where? Why'd you leave a note on the table? And why-"

"I'm running away, okay?" Percy's voice echoed rather loudly off the hill. They both flinched. He took a deep breath. "I need to find out about the Freedom Corps. I need to know, Annabeth. About my dad, he- Well, I need answers. I'm sorry," he added, green eyes full of sorrow. "I really didn't want to-"

"-leave, but you had to," Annabeth sighed, finishing his sentence. Percy blinked, comprehension dawning on his face. Was he guessing that her plan had been similar to his?

"So, are you gonna tell me why you have a backpack?" he said, crossing his arms.

Annabeth shrugged. "I had the same idea. Except... I was going to leave this." She slung her bag to a reachable position and pulled out a plastic container. She opened it, revealing the contents. It was a cupcake, complete with blue icing and an unlit candle.

"Happy birthday, Percy," she whispered.

Percy gaped. "It- it's my birthday? I mean... I'm seventeen now?"

Annabeth nodded. "August 18th, right? You know, it's my birthday, too. I'm sixteen now."

Percy smiled. "Why didn't you say something before?"

"It never mattered before," she replied honestly.

Once again, Percy put a hand up to the back of his neck. "Look, Annabeth, you don't have to-"

"Oh, if you're going to say I can't come, I'll stop you now."

"But Annabeth-"

"Look at this!" Annabeth held up her locket. "It means as much to me as it does to you. I need to know, Percy. And we're partners, so why not do it together?"

Percy hesitated. "I don't know."

"I do," Annabeth insisted, pulling the cupcake out of the container and stuffing the plastic back into her bag. "Now, come on. If we don't leave now, we'll miss the 4 'o clock bus South." She began walking down the road, praying that Percy would follow. _Come on, Percy, come on, come on..._

After a few seconds, she heard footsteps on the pavement behind her. Percy didn't say anything. He gently took the cupcake from her hands, split it in half, and threw the candle on the ground.

"That's littering," Annabeth pointed out.

"It's biodegradable. And anyways, I have a feeling that we're going to do a lot worse than littering to find the Freedom Corps," he said grimly.

_We're going to do a lot worse._ Annabeth hadn't heard past that part in the sentence. He had said "we". She gave a small small and took Percy's free hand in her own. Whatever came now, they would do it together. So there they walked down the street, holding hands, a cupcake split between them, and a new horizon set in front of them.

This horizon was so big, so huge, so infinite, that Annabeth was sure that the answers were there somewhere. And together, they were going to find them.

* * *

**This is the longest A/N ever guys, sorry.**

**So the Sea of Monsters was excellent, thanks for asking ;) It had some intense and cute moments and at the end I thought it was going to be a complete screw up but they totally left it open for the storyline to unfold more.**

**On a completely unrelated topic, HOLY MOTHERSINGING CHEESE THIS WAS HARD TO WRITE. SO MAN FEELS AND IT'S OVER AND IT'S JUST BEGINNING AND *hugs*.**

**Seriously, though. The action is just beginning. Here is the summary for the sequel;**

* * *

The Freedom Corps

Percy and Annabeth found each other, but they still haven't found the answers. The Freedom Corps seems to be the key to Percy's dad, as well as Annabeth's mysterious locket. When the secret organization itself is pulled into a sinister plot, both Annabeth and Percy must make a choice. Stay with the Freedom Corps at great personal risk, or spend eternity not knowing?

* * *

**And now, the complete list of theme songs. (Scroll to the end for this chapter's theme song.)**

**I'll Follow You by Shinedown  
(Percy and Annabeth)**

**I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz  
(Piper and Jason)**

**Don't Forget by Demi Lovato  
(Jason and Reyna)**

**Raise Your Weapon by Deadmau5  
(Thalia and Luke)**

**Sing by My Chemical Romance  
(All the demigods)**

**What I Did For Love from A Chorus Line  
(Percy and Annabeth)**

**Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift  
(Percy and Annabeth)**

**He Won't Go by Adele  
(Percy and Annabeth)**

**Wide Awake by Katy Perry  
(Luke)**

**Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri  
(Annabeth and Luke)**

**If I Lose Myself by OneRepublic  
(Percy and Annabeth)**

**In Memory by Shinedown  
(Jason and Reyna)**

**Life In Technicolor II by Coldplay  
(All the demigods)**

**Some Nights by Fun.  
(All the demigods)**

**Call Me by Shinedown  
(Percy and Annabeth)**

**Without the Bitter by Mayday Paradise  
(Percy and Annabeth)**

**As Long As You Love Me by Justin Bieber  
(Piper and Jason)**

**Ready Or Not by Bridget Mendler  
(Percy and Annabeth)**

**Gold by Britt Nicole  
(Hazel)**

**Hey There Delilah by The Plain White T's  
(Percy and Annabeth)**

**Hero by Sterling Knight  
(Piper and Jason)**

**Fearless by Taylor Swift  
(Piper and Jason)**

**Violet Hill by Coldplay  
(For all of the demigods and the world they live in. For Camp Jupiter, for Camp Half-Blood, and for their inhabitants. For the ones who have fallen and the ones who have should have stood. For the pawns of the Olympus, for the heroes of humankind, and for the ones who never could. May the gods be with you.)**

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed Ghost Girl!**

**-Rebel**


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